


I See Who I Wanna Be (in my daughter's eyes)

by littleluthor



Series: our lives are made [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, but not really enemies, its gonna be smutty eventually, kara tries to stay out of her way, kinda slowburn i guess, lena is just stubborn, no powers, parent/ teacher au, so fluffy ur gonna choke, until she doesnt, with a little angst too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 125,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13246095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleluthor/pseuds/littleluthor
Summary: Lena was only 25 when she’d found out that if she wanted to have a child of her own, then she had to do it as soon as possible or she'd miss her chance forever.She always figured she’d discuss how to have kids with her future wife when the time came, but her time was running out so she decided to take the plunge.Ten months later, her baby girl was in her arms.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PayPal is in my twitter bio if any of u want to help a gal out @littleiuthor :)

 

 

The incessant buzzing of her alarm pulled Lena out of her slumber and she groaned as she felt around blindly for her phone, desperate to stop the harsh beeping that was currently piercing through the calm silence of the early morning.

 

She eventually found it underneath her bed, still blaring away as she grabbed it and hit the stop button. She hated when it fell from her bed during the night, she really ought to stop falling asleep with it in her hand.

 

Lena threw back her covers and regrettably slid out of the silky warmth that was her bed sheets, usually she’d snooze her alarm once or twice before getting up but today was a big day, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

 

After grabbing a quick shower, Lena quickly dried and wrapped herself up in her favourite fluffy dressing gown before heading downstairs into the kitchen.

 

Her house was right on the edge of the city, close enough that she could easily get to and from L-Corp each day, but far enough away that they had privacy and enough space for a large backyard, where Lena wouldn’t have to worry about traffic or anything being an issue while they played.

 

Her body was on autopilot as she set the coffee machine up, already feeling more human from the smell alone. As she waited for her morning dose of caffeine, she pulled out some flour, milk, eggs and sugar and then set about making some pancake batter. She even dared to throw in some chocolate chips.

 

The meals eaten in Lena’s home were always extremely healthy and well planned out but today was a special occasion so she thought she’d make an exception, she knew someone who’d appreciate it.

 

She drank her coffee as she poured some batter into the pan, listening to the quiet sizzle and enjoying the feeling of life entering her body as the caffeine flowed through her veins.

 

The sun was just staring to rise as she finished up the last of the batter, setting the final pancake on top of the stack before switching the stove off and putting the used bowls and pan into the sink, thinking for maybe the billionth time how thankful she was for her cleaning lady.

 

She set the pancakes down on the island opposite the stove before grabbing a glass and two plates. A plain white ceramic one for herself, and a plastic pink glittery one with a matching swirly straw cup. She filled each of the cups with fresh orange juice from the refrigerator, they may be having pancakes for breakfast but Lena would be damned if they didn’t still get their five-a-day in, before heading back upstairs to her room.

 

She dressed quickly, opting for her plain black power suit paired with a respectable white blouse before heading into her en suite bathroom to deal with her hair and makeup. She tied her hair up into a tight all-business ponytail before she set about applying her makeup.

 

It was nearing 7:00am when she finished up in the bathroom and, after giving herself a quick once over in the mirror, she padded barefoot out into her room and down the hall before stopping at the half open door with the name “ **L E N I** " written in large pink glitter letters at the top.

 

She opened it the rest of the way and smiled at the mess of dark curls poking out from the thick comforter that her daughter was completely buried underneath. She looked so tiny in the double bed that Lena had bought for her, at first she thought it may be a little silly to buy a double bed for a three year old, but it put Lena’s mind at ease during the night knowing there was a smaller chance of her rolling over and falling out onto the floor.

 

She padded over to the bed before sitting down on the edge and gently pulling the covers back. Leni was laying on her stomach, her cute little face smushed against the pillow, and Lena felt her heart soar. Her tiny little baby was starting preschool already, how had that happened?

 

She felt herself tearing up as she thought back over the last few years, gently tracing patterns on her back to wake her up.

 

It had been a little over three whole years since Leni was born, three birthdays, three Christmases, three Halloweens and Lena had done them all by herself.

 

She was only 24 when she’d found out that if she wanted to have a child of her own, then she had to do it as soon as possible or her chance would slip away. She went home that evening, after telling her doctor that she needed some time to think about it. She was the CEO of L-Corp, money wasn’t going to be an issue. Sure, she was young, but she wasn’t _that_  young and it wasn’t like she was looking for a man. She always figured she’d discuss how to have kids with her future wife when the time came, but her time was running out. She decided to take the plunge. She spent a week pouring over anonymous sperm donors before finally settling on one and ten months later, her baby girl was in her arms.

 

She was born Elena Elizabeth Luthor but Lena quickly fell into the habit of calling her Leni. Her pregnancy had thankfully been as straightforward as growing a whole other human being inside of you could be and while she was technically doing it alone, she had a ton of support from an unlikely friend that she’d gotten to know during her pregnancy. When they first started getting to know one another at work, Sam explained that she was also a single mom to her 9 year old daughter Ruby. They became fast friends and Sam was the first person through the door of her hospital room after she’d given birth, closely followed by Jess.

 

Lena continued to lightly scratch her back, whispering her name softly as she tried to wake her. Neither one of them were morning people but Lena swore her kid was way worse than she was. She watched as her face scrunched up before her eyes fluttered open. Lena would’ve been almost entirely convinced that she’d conceived her daughter all on her own had it not been for her eyes. Leni was her double, from her jet black hair to her cute little nose but her eyes, her eyes were a calm ocean blue that took Lena’s breath away every single time.

 

“Good morning baby.” she smiled as Leni reached out for her, still half asleep. “Time to get up.”

 

Lena took her fluffy slippers from the floor beside the bed and pulled them onto her little feet while she lay there, grumpy expression on her face.

 

She muttered something unintelligible into Lena’s neck as she scooped her up and carried her out into the hallway. Lena felt tiny hands toy sleepily with the ends of her ponytail as a head rested on her shoulder while they walked downstairs.

 

“Hey I have a surprise for your first day of preschool.” she smiled as Leni lifted her head curiously. “I made pancakes!”

 

“Chocolate chip?” Leni exclaimed excitedly, suddenly a lot more awake than she had been.

 

“Chocolate chip.” Lena confirmed, laughing as Leni wriggled in her arms. She set her down once they reached the bottom of the stairs and she continued to laugh as Leni sprinted towards the kitchen and clambered up into her seat.

 

She cut her pancakes into small pieces before handing her a fork and letting her dig in. Lena finished first and washed her hands before grabbing a hairbrush and a bow from the drawer. She sprayed a good amount of berry scented detangling spray into her hair before gently combing through the mess of jet black curls, tying the top half of her hair up and out of her face as Leni happily ate. She secured it with a light pink bow and brought a mirror over for Leni’s approval.

 

When she’d finished eating they headed back upstairs into Leni’s room to get her dressed. Lena told her to take her pyjamas off while she got the new dress they’d picked out together from her closet. It was light pink, to match her bow, and came with a beautiful little white cardigan. Lena knew it wouldn’t stay white for long but at least she looked cute for now.

 

Once she was dressed, Lena let her put her own socks on. They were cute little frilly white ones and she adored them. She carried her into the bathroom before setting her down onto the counter and brushing her teeth.

 

“Okay, spit.” Lena held her as she dramatically spat her toothpaste into the sink before accepting the glass of water from her mom to rinse her mouth.

 

Ten minutes later, they were standing in the hallway next to the door each putting on their shoes. Lena stepped into her shiny black Louboutin’s and she watched as Leni lined up the stickers Lena had put inside each of her shoes to help her work out which feet they go on, before successfully strapping on her brand new white sandals.

 

“Well done baby!” Lena smiled, bending down to give her a high five and a quick kiss on the top of her head.

 

“Mommy you’ll mess my hair!” Leni giggled as Lena grabbed her and planted kisses all over her face.

 

“Oh but.. look at this.. cute little.. face!” she cooed between kisses.

 

“ _Moooommy! _”__  she wriggled in her grip, still giggling when Lena let go of her.

 

“Come on, I wanna take a photo of you before you go.”

 

 

Leni was standing in front of the garage door wearing her brand new pink backpack on her shoulders as she held a sign up that read:

__

**_LENI’S FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL_ **

**_\- 2018_ **

**_**** _ **

Lena laughed at the size of the bag poking out from either side of her, it was almost bigger than her baby.

 

“Okay let’s get going.” she held a hand out once she’d taken enough photos to fill at least 17 photo albums.

 

She opened the door to her black range rover, making sure Leni was securely strapped in before getting into the front seat and taking off for school.

 

* * *

 

Lena could feel all eyes on them as she clicked her way down the hallway towards Leni’s classroom. She held her head high and smiled as Leni happily skipped along beside her, completely oblivious to what was going on.

 

“Is that _Lena Luthor?!”_

__

“Oh my god it is!!”

 

“I didn’t even know she had a kid!”

 

“I heard she had two!”

 

She ignored the gossiping around her as they entered the classroom and were met with the warm smile of Leni’s new teacher, Mrs Day. There were already a lot of kids in the classroom, playing with the large variety of toys available and Lena could feel Leni itching to go join them.

 

She had been extremely thorough with her research to make sure her daughter had the best of the best and nothing less. She’d been sure to attend PTA meetings previous to registering Leni here and was now one of the largest financial donors to the school. She was extremely happy with her choice of teacher and she felt confident enough to leave Leni with her. That was, until the principle entered the classroom.

 

“Oh Miss Luthor there you are! Do you have a second?” she asked with a smile, although Lena sensed a little hesitation.

 

“Of course. I’ll be right back, okay sweetie?” She crouched down in front of Leni, who flashed her a smile and nodded before skipping over to join a few of the kids at the sand box.

 

The principle, Ms. Grant as Lena had come to know her, lead her out of the classroom and down a different hallway from the one they’d just entered from.

 

They walked for a few moments and passed another classroom before stopping outside what appeared to be Ms. Grant’s office.

 

She flashed Lena another smile before unlocking the door and gesturing for her to come inside and sit down.

 

“Can I offer you a drink? Tea? Coffee?”

 

“Actually I’d prefer it if we just cut to whatever you’re trying to avoid telling me.” Lena stated, quickly slipping into ice bitch CEO mode the second she was out of Leni’s presence.

 

“Oh, right yes of course.” Ms Grant said, sitting down at her desk in front of Lena. “You see, Mrs Day’s class is completely full for the next year. We were under the impression that one of the children was going to be moving out of state but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.”

 

“So, what are you saying?” Lena asked sternly, with her most intimidating gaze.

 

“I’m saying that unfortunately, Elena won’t be able to join Mrs Day’s class this year.”

 

She felt frustration wash over her but Lena buried it deep beneath her cool exterior.

 

“So, now what? Am I supposed to wait an entire year for a space to free up? That hardly seems practical, I won’t have my daughter falling a year behind.” she stated.

 

“Well, there is another option.” Ms Grant told her. “We have one other class for Elena’s level that has space available.”

 

Lena remained silent, arms crossed and gaze burning into Ms Grant’s, willing her to continue.

 

“Miss Danvers’ class is right down the hall, we passed it on the way here-”

 

“Wait, hang on.” Lena cut her off. She recognized that name from her research. “Miss Danvers as in, the Miss Danvers who’s very first day teaching is today?”

 

“Miss Luthor, all of our employees go through extensive background checks and we hire only the best. Your daughter will be in very good hands I assure you.”

 

Lena was hesitant, but admitted defeat eventually. She wasn’t happy about leaving her daughter with someone inexperienced and unfamiliar to her but she also knew that she didn’t have any other choice.

 

Ms Grant walked them back through the building to collect Leni from Mrs Day's classroom before heading to Miss Danvers’. She showed them to the stack of cubby holes and Lena located the one with the name “Elena” on it and helped her put her lunch inside before moving to the classroom door.

 

* * *

 

Kara was seated on the colorful rug on the floor of her classroom , surrounded by kids that sat in a circle beside her. Some of them were chatting excitedly while others were a little more quiet, and a few were still a little teary eyed from saying goodbye to their parents.

 

She was just about to open their morning book, a new tradition she was hoping to start each morning with, when a knock sounded at the door.

 

“Okay, you guys sit tight I’ll just be a second.” she flashed them a smile before uncrossing her legs and walking over to the door.

 

“Miss Danvers, this is Elena and her mom Miss Luthor.” Ms Grant introduced the dark haired woman and her daughter before rushing off to deal with her own work.

 

“Oh, yes of course! I’ve been expecting you!” She smiled before extending a hand out to Elena and shaking it politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elena. I’m so happy you’ll be joining my class!”

 

“Leni.” the girl giggled as Kara let her hand go with a confused look.

 

“I call her Leni.” Lena said, with an unamused expression on her face.

 

Before Kara could reply, Lena had turned her back to her and crouched down onto her knees in front of Leni.

 

“I’ll see you in a few hours okay baby? I want you to have _so much fun!”_ she tickled her ribs lightly and Leni let out a squeal of laughter. “I love you.”

 

“Love you too mommy!” She said happily, leaning in to give her a kiss before turning around and heading into the classroom, making a show of blowing Lena a kiss, who then pretended to catch it mid air and stick it in her pocket as Leni laughed.

 

Once she was out of earshot, Lena stood up and turned to Kara once more.

 

“I expect a full copy of the curriculum for this year , any trips or other things that I should know about I’d like to be notified at least a month in advance and I trust you’ll keep me updated on any changes.” It was more of a statement than a question and Kara gulped at the sudden switch in Lena’s disposition.

 

“I-.. Yes, yes of course Miss Luthor- That- Yes. I can do that.”

 

She felt Lena’s eyes give her a once over before turning to walk away. Despite her still being a few inches taller than Lena in her Louboutin’s, she suddenly felt very insecure in her khakis and pastel pink cardigan.

 

“Oh and Miss Danvers?” Lena turned around to look over her shoulder. “I trust that my daughter won’t be returning home today with a stutter.” She snarked before walking off.

 

Kara let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in and tried not to let the comment bother her too much. Miss Luthor was clearly another obsessive mom that only wanted the best for her child, Kara just had to prove that __she__ was the best.

 

When she stepped back into the classroom, Leni was standing just inside the door.

 

“Hey sweetie you okay?” Kara asked her with a smile.

 

“I forgot my bag.” Leni gestured to the oversized backpack that was still slung across her shoulders.

 

“Oh, come on then. Let’s go find your hook.”

 

They walked along the wall until Kara located the hook with the name tag “Elena” and a photo of a cartoon giraffe above it.

 

“Here we are.” she helped her out of the bag before handing it to her to put on her hook.

 

* * *

 

Lena had finished up work early so that she’d be able to pick Leni up from her first day of school. She promised herself when she became a mom that her work would always come second to her child. She wouldn’t be able to pick her up every day, some of her international conference calls just couldn’t be rescheduled but she made sure all of the work that could be done at home, was done in the evening once Leni was in bed for the night.

 

She made her way to the classroom she’d dropped Leni off at earlier and her heart threatened to burst when she saw the classroom door swing open and Leni came running out towards her. Her hair was a wild mess of curls and she had a deep purple stain on her cardigan, presumably from the juice box she’d had with lunch.

 

She threw herself into Lena’s arms and Lena excitedly picked her up.

 

“I missed you! How was your first day baby?” she kissed her cheek before squeezing her a little tighter and setting her down.

 

“So good!” she hopped excitedly. “I drew this for you!” she handed Lena a crayon drawing of what she assumed was the two of them, complete with a rainbow and a unicorn in the background.

 

“You drew this for _me?!_ ” Leni nodded excitedly. “It’s beautiful! I have a very special spot right in the middle of the refrigerator for this one!” she beamed. “How about we go get some ice cream to celebrate your first day?”

 

Leni gasped before excitedly nodding her head and hugging her mom’s leg.

 

She lead Lena to her hook to collect her bag and Lena immediately noticed that the name tag had been switched from “Elena” to “Leni”.

 

“Oh, don’t forget your lunchbox!” a voice came from behind them and Lena turned to see Miss Danvers rushing up with Leni’s lunchbox in her hand.

 

“Thank you.” she took it from her immediately before zipping it into Leni’s bag. “For the name tag too.”

 

“No problem.” Kara shrugged. “And you’ll be glad to know that she doesn’t have a stutter either.” she said before hurriedly walking off, not wanting to stay and give Leni’s mom the opportunity to find more things to complain about.

 

Lena watched her walk off for a moment before Leni tugged on her arm and she looked down at her.

 

“Can we get ice cream now mommy?” she’d long perfected the puppy dog stare that weakened Lena’s hard exterior every single time.

 

“Of course we can.”

 

They walked hand in hand out of the building, Leni skipping along happily as Lena carried her bright pink backpack on her own shoulder.

 

Her baby girl’s first day of preschool? Check.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Leni’s laughter filled the bathroom while she sat in the tub full of bubbles and watched as Lena put all of her concentration into shaping the thick white bubble beard currently on her face.

 

“Mommy you look silly!” she yelled between laughs and Lena feigned outrage at her statement, earning even more laughter from her.

 

Lena kept the beard on as she rummaged around in the cabinet for Leni’s shampoo before heading back over to soap up her hair, the strawberry scent quickly spread throughout the bathroom and they each hummed in approval as they sniffed it.

 

“Okay, you know the drill. Close your eyes and deep breath.” Lena held the jug of water over her head as Leni took a deep breath in and nodded- her signal that she was ready- before Lena poured the jug over her hair, rinsing the majority of her shampoo away.

 

“Okay, one more time.” she refilled the jug and emptied it over Leni’s head once again before handing her the little hand towel beside the tub to dry her face.

 

“Sit tight, I’ll be two seconds.” Lena got up from her spot kneeling beside the tub to grab the warm towel from the radiator at the other side of the room.

 

She carried a squeaky clean, fussy towel wrapped Leni into her own room before setting her down on the queen sized bed to dry and put her pyjamas on her.

 

Lena could feel her lulling off to sleep in her lap as she softly blow-dried her hair, and by the time she was done combing the tangles from it, Leni was out cold.

 

She always envied Leni’s ability to just drop and sleep wherever she was, she herself struggled to sleep anywhere that wasn’t the comfort of her own bed, whereas Leni would be gone to the world within a few minutes of deciding she was sleepy, whether she was in the car, at the kitchen table, in the shopping cart at the store, literally anywhere.

 

She twisted her around gently in her lap before propping her head up on her shoulder, holding it in place with her hand so that she didn’t lull to the side and hurt her neck when Lena stood up.

 

She carried Leni into her own room, setting her down in the middle of the bed before tucking her in and brushing a strand of hair out of the way so that she could kiss her forehead.

 

“Goodnight baby.” she whispered before switching her nightlight on and heading downstairs into the living room to get some work done.

 

Leni’s bedtime routine usually started around 6, and she was in bed for 7 o’clock sharp every single night which gave Lena a good few hours to get her work done in the evening.

 

She rummaged around in search for her glasses before she settled in and opened up her unread emails, it was all the regular ones she’d been expecting and her body switched to autopilot as she began to work her way through them before one caught her eye and pulled her out of her work daze.

 

_karadanvers28@gmail.com_

_SUBJECT: 2018 Curriculum_

__

Lena opened it immediately and began scrolling through everything. It all seemed well and good until she got to the 3rd page down titled “Family Tree project.”

__

_The_ _children will be asked to design and paint their own tree, after which they’ll make labels with each family member and stick them to the tree. Parents/ guardians will be required to help with names etc at home so that children are able to complete the task within the classroom with as much ease as possible._

 

_This task is especially important for children of this age to help improve their knowledge of where they come from and to gain a basic understanding of their heritage-_

__

Her chest felt hollow as she stopped reading mid sentence, a wave of nausea washed over her and she felt as though she was going to burst into tears.

 

_

Lena finally emerged from the bathroom in her office after a bout of morning sickness, it had been three whole months of this and it seemed to finally be easing off, but that didn’t make it any more pleasant when it happened. She made her way back over to her desk, sitting down as gently as she could so as not to upset her stomach any further, when the doors of her office burst open and four large figures dressed entirely in black tactical gear with the word “SWAT” written across their chests came storming in, large black guns raised in her direction and she completely froze, hand subconsciously coming up to cover the now slightly protruding bump hidden beneath her blouse.

 

Two of the figures broke away and began pulling things apart in her office, tearing books from the shelves and ripping her drawers out from her desk before emptying the contents onto the floor, while the other two stepped up behind her and handcuffed her. Without a word from any of them, she was lead away from the elevator and towards the emergency staircase where she received orders to stay silent. She struggled to get down the stairs in her heels with her hands cuffed tightly behind her back but the grip on her arms was so firm she had a feeling that even if she tripped she wouldn’t get very far.

 

It wasn’t until Lena was in the backseat of the car, a swat member pressing up on either side of her, that she began to really panic. She ached to reach around and hold her stomach but her arms were still locked behind her back and she felt as though she was suffocating. She didn’t have a clue what was going on and she was extremely aware of the guns resting on the laps of each of the men at her side, and the damage they could do to her and her unborn child. She held back her tears as they continued to drive.

 

Lena wasn’t sure how much time had passed in the back of the car before the door was swung open and she realized they had arrived at the army base. She was immediately escorted inside by what appeared to be two FBI agents and then taken straight into an interrogation room where her handcuffs were undone in exchange for her left hand being locked into the table. One of the agents gave a final tug on the chain, making sure that it was secure before they exited the room, leaving Lena alone for the first time since she’d sat down at her desk earlier this morning.

 

A million thoughts were rushing through her head and she willed her heart rate to slow down just a little, knowing that the stress she was under couldn’t be good for the baby. She took a few deep breaths before another two agents entered the room and closed the door behind them.

 

“What’s going on? Why am I here?” she asked as they sat down in front of her.

 

“Are you saying you don’t know what’s going on?” one of them questioned while the other studied Lena’s body language intently.

 

“All I know is that I was dragged from my office this morning by your swat team and no one has allowed me to speak until now.”

 

The agents shared a look before one of them got up and left the room.

 

“I’m agent Vasquez.” the agent still in the room spoke. “Can I get you a glass of water?”

 

Lena politely declined and within a few minutes the second agent had returned to the room.

 

“Miss Luthor, we brought you in for questioning today to discuss any possible involvement you may have had with your brother’s organization.”

 

“I’m sorry, my brother’s _what?”_

 

“We’ve had him under surveillance for some time now. We had reason to believe that he was at the helm of a terrorist organization with plans to launch multiple attacks throughout the country.”

 

Lena couldn’t process what she was hearing. Sure, she hadn’t spoken to Lex for a few years since he opted to give up his position at LuthorCorp, leaving the burden to fall onto Lena, but a _terrorist?_  No way.

 

“Somehow, he found out about our surveillance and during an FBI raid on the warehouse we suspected him to be working from in the early hours of this morning, he detonated a number of explosives, killing himself, the agents and everyone else in the building. We also believe your mother to have been there.” the agent finished so casually it was as though she had just recited her grocery list to Lena. “We’re waiting on DNA results to conclude.”

_

 

And that was how Lena had ended up without a family.

 

 She hated reliving that day, it had been one of the roughest of her life. No one had known she was pregnant yet, and suddenly the entire world’s eyes were on her. Was she involved? Had she known? Would she continue to run the family business?

 

It was the only time in her life that she’d ever regretted her decision to have a baby. How dare she bring another innocent human being into this mess, they didn’t deserve this. She vaguely remembers Sam coming to pick her up once they’d finally allowed her to leave the interrogation room, satisfied that Lena had no knowledge of her family’s intentions.

 

She told Sam about everything that night, from her adoption into the Luthor family to her own pregnancy and Sam listened to it all with a comforting smile and a cup of warm cocoa. She let Lena cry until she’d cried all of her tears and then tucked her up into her bed, opting to take the couch for the night.

 

Lena closed her laptop and slipped her glasses off, massaging her temples with her fingertips as she let out a sigh. She tried to avoid thinking about that day as hard as she could. It was still early but she’d had enough for the night.

 

After switching everything off downstairs and double checking that the doors were locked, she headed upstairs and went straight to Leni’s room. She was still out cold and Lena gently picked her up once again, carrying her sleeping form into her own bed before tucking her in and quickly putting on her own pyjamas as she cuddled up beside her baby.

 

Lena knew she probably should’ve left her in her own bed but sometimes she just needed the extra comfort of knowing her little girl was tucked up safely beside her. That she did have family. Her own little family. Just the two of them.

 

* * *

 

Kara was writing the days activities up on the whiteboard in a range of different colored markers when she heard the distinct clicking that she’d come to know well during the past week. Leni’s mom’s heels. She was the first one to arrive every single morning and she always helped Leni put away her bag and lunch before kissing her goodbye and promising to see her at the end of the day. Kara suspected that she didn’t like the other parents and tried to avoid them when possible.

 

She’d managed to stay out of her way since their run in on her first day so she definitely hadn’t been expecting the dark haired woman to knock on the door to her classroom and ask to talk.

 

“Of course! What did you wish to discuss?” Kara asked as professionally as she could, willing herself with every fibre of her being not to stutter again.

 

She watched the woman look over to Leni who was happily playing with the large blocks in the corner, most likely making sure she was out of earshot before beginning.

 

“I need my daughter to be excused from the family tree project.” She stated. “I imagine it will only take a day or two so it shouldn’t be difficult to find her another task.”

 

“Miss Luthor I can’t just prevent one child from taking part in a class activity. I’m not willing to exclude a child from something when they’d have no knowledge as to why. From what I’ve seen, I’m positive Leni is more than capable of completing the task.”

 

“Of course she’s capable.” she snapped and Kara almost flinched at the venom in her voice. “I have my own personal reasons for not wanting her to do it.”

 

“Well unless you’re willing to discuss said personal reasons with me, then there’s nothing I can do.” Kara stated matter-of-factly, proud of her ability to keep her voice steady despite Miss Luthor’s glare. “And from what I’ve gathered so far, it doesn’t seem like you’re willing.”

 

She was half expecting a beam of heat to shoot out from the woman’s eyes in front of her but she simply let out a breath and broke eye contact, opting to look at the floor instead.

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“Look mommy!” Leni interrupted from the other side of the room, proudly showing off the tower of blocks that she’d stacked up.

 

“Oh my goodness look at this!” Lena exclaimed, walking over to get a closer look. “Good job babe!”

 

Kara watched from her desk as she went over and picked Leni up before saying her goodbyes and planting a red lipsticked kiss on her cheek. She may be slightly terrified of the dark haired business woman, but from what she’d seen, she had to admit that she was an amazing mom.

 

“Okay, don’t forget aunt Sammy will be picking you up today and I’ll get you from her house as soon as I can. I love you bug.”

 

“Love you too momm- AHHH!” Leni screamed when Lena tickled her ribs and they both fell into a fit of giggles.

 

Lena set her down with a smile before turning to leave. Kara nodded briefly at her. Lena completely ignored her existence.

 

* * *

 

Leni fussed as Lena zipped her up into her purple polka dotted raincoat and wrestled a hat onto her head. She would usually be settling down for her mid afternoon nap by now but Lena had a surprise for her to celebrate the end of her first week at preschool and they had to leave now if she wanted to be on time.

 

“Mommy I don’t want this!” Leni immediately pulled the hat off, throwing it onto the floor and began fussing with the zipper of her jacket.

 

“Elena Elizabeth Luthor you pick that hat up right now or we won’t be going anywhere.” Lena said sternly, and Leni knew better than to argue back when Lena pulled out _that_ gaze.

 

She huffed as she picked up the hat and handed it to her mom with a pout on her face and it took everything in Lena not to cave, why did she have to be so goddamn adorable all the time?

 

“I know you’re tired baby, you can sleep in the car.” Lena told her as she put the hat on her head once more. “And you can take this off in the car too.” she pulled her hat down over her eyes and laughed.

 

The rain was battering harshly off the driveway as they ran hand in hand to the car, Lena quickly grabbed Leni and buckled her in before sprinting to the driver’s side and getting in herself.

 

Leni passed out less than 5 minutes into the drive and Lena turned the radio on quietly to keep her company as she drove.

 

They pulled up at the trampoline place a little over a half an hour later and Lena saw Sam’s car already parked and waiting for them. She woke Leni up gently as Sam made her way over.

 

“Hey miss Leni I heard you had a super fun week at preschool!” she cooed, reaching her arms out to pick her up from her car seat.

 

“I thought Ruby was coming?” Lena asked as she locked the car and they headed into the building.

 

“Oh no apparently she’s too grown up to hang with her mom now.” Sam playfully rolled her eyes. “You better keep this one as little as you can.” she gestured to Leni.

 

“Oh I fully intend to.” Lena laughed, looking over at her baby girl fighting to stay awake on Sam’s shoulder as she snapped a few quick photos of them.

 

Leni perked up as soon as they made it inside and she saw where they were.

 

“We’re gonna bounce?!” she yelled, struggling to keep her little body still as the excitement threatened to spill over.

 

“We’re gonna bounce!” Lena smiled, matching her enthusiasm.

 

They changed into the rubber bottomed socks provided by the lady behind the desk before heading out onto the trampolines. Lena was a little worried about how tiny Leni was compared to everyone else jumping around them but everything ended up being okay. They stayed for the best part of two hours before Sam had to leave to go pick up Ruby from a friend’s. She hugged them each goodbye before planting a sloppy kiss on Leni’s cheek.

 

“Goodbye guys! Leni you be good in school okay? I’ll see you soon!”

 

“Bye aunt Sammy!” she called after her.

 

Lena was almost done strapping Leni into her shoes when her phone buzzed with a text message.

 

_4:17pm_

_Sam: couple of paparazzi outside at the side of the building x_

_4:18pm_

_Lena: ugh thank you x_

She put her own shoes on before pulling Leni’s hat onto her head once again, followed by her hood this time.

 

“Come on, I’ll carry you to the car.” Lena put her arms out and Leni immediately stepped into them.

 

She tucked her face into Lena’s neck and Lena held her head protectively as they stepped out and rushed towards the car. There were three men chasing after her and the constant flashes from the camera were extremely distracting but she didn’t engage with them, she never did.

 

 

They pulled out of the parking lot a few moments later and Leni seemed completely unfazed by it. She had been born into it, but it bothered Lena to no end. Her little girl had a right to her privacy and while she tried her very best, she couldn’t always give her it.

 

“I’m sorry baby.” She caught Leni’s eye in the mirror.

 

“For what? I had so much fun! Thank you mommy!”

 

Lena felt her heart smile at the sheer innocence she possessed.

 

“You’re very welcome munchkin.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everyone who took the time to comment and leave kudos, it truly means more to me than i can say :)


	3. Chapter 3

 

Lena was sitting in the kitchen, pen in hand staring down at the piece of paper on the table in front of her.

 

Miss Danvers had passed out letters asking all of the parents to write down a list of the child’s family members, specifying who they were to the child. She also asked for it to be set out in proper family tree form to make it easier for the kids in class.

 

Lena felt beyond pathetic as she looked down at the completed family tree she’d drawn up for Leni.

__

_Lena Luthor_

_(mom)_

     |

_Leni Luthor_

__

She knew eventually the time would come to have a conversation with her about her mother and brother but Leni was far too young to be able to comprehend it at this age, but Lena also didn’t want to lie to her about it either.

__

She had touched on the subject of how Leni came about being brought into the world, how science had helped her conceive but Leni had a short attention span and didn’t seem to care very much about it so Lena had been perfectly content with dropping the subject until she was a little older for that too.

 

She slid the piece of paper into a plastic cover and zipped it up into Leni’s bag so that she wouldn’t have to remember to grab it in the morning, before letting her head fall into her palms as she let out a sigh.

 

She knew Leni was a happy kid, and the amount of love Lena had for her was beyond comprehension. She had provided her with a home and everything she needs without spoiling her. Well, without _completely_ spoiling her. She was a good mom, she was. But sometimes she didn’t feel that way. She felt as though she was letting her down, not being able to give her a family.

 

But then she’d hear Sam’s voice in her head, fussing over Leni in her baby voice. And she’d see the way Jess smiled when she first held Leni in her hospital room. And she’d picture Ruby teaching Leni how to crawl as they rolled around the rug in the living room a few years ago.

 

They may not be a traditional family, but Leni had a family.

 

* * *

 

Kara was seated at her desk, her kids all excitedly rushing in at once to give her their family trees that their parents had drawn up.

 

Once she’d stacked them all up into a neat pile, she set about laying old newspaper sheets down, covering as much of the floor as possible while the kids watched intently.

 

“Miss Danvers? What are you doing?” the voice belonged to Noah, one of her more outgoing students.

 

“I’m putting this paper down so that we can paint without making a mess of the floor.” she smiled as the noise level increased significantly between the gasps of excitement and the kids mirroring her words.

 

“Paint?”

 

“We’re gonna paint?”

 

“Woah!”

 

“You guys are gonna paint your trees for me, remember?” She picked up ten pieces of paper, one for each of her ten students, and set those down on the floor too before heading to cabinet where she kept the aprons.

 

It took her a good few minutes to wrestle each kid into their aprons before she told them to find a piece of paper and take a seat next to it.

 

“Okay guys, before we start I have some very important rules that I need you to listen to okay?”

 

She was met with a chorus of “Okay” and “Yes, miss Danvers”.

 

“Rule number one,” She held up one finger. “The paint stays on the paper, okay? No throwing it at anyone, no painting your clothes or faces or anything silly.”

 

Kara scanned the room to make sure they were all listening. When she was satisfied that they were, she continued, with two fingers raised this time.

 

“Rule number two, you paint on your own sheet of paper and only your own sheet. I don’t want to see any of you trying to paint on other people’s work.”

 

They were beginning to fidget now, itching to get started.

 

“And rule number three, I want you guys to have fun.” She smiled before giving them permission to begin painting.

 

Kara took the opportunity to go through each of the sheets of paper they’d handed in from their parents to make sure everything was up to scratch. She watched carefully from the side of her eye, making sure everyone was on their best behaviour.

 

She found herself rather impressed by the amount of effort some of the parents had put into this. It was the first time she’d asked them to do something like this and they definitely did not disappoint. That was, until she got to Leni’s.

 

She looked down at the clearly unfinished work that her mom had handed in and Kara felt beyond frustrated. She knew Miss Luthor wasn’t overjoyed about Leni taking part in this activity but she didn’t think she had it in her to do something so petty.

 

It wasn’t until the end of the day that she had the chance to do anything about it. She waited for the familiar click of heels on the floor outside before excusing herself from the room. She’d asked one of the assistants to step in and watch the kids while she left.

 

“Miss Luthor, may I have a word with you please?” She asked, making sure they were alone in the large hallway outside.

 

She watched as Leni’s mom furrowed her brow, much in the same way Leni did when she was confused.

 

“I guess so.” she all but rolled her eyes.

 

“Miss Luthor.” Kara cleared her throat. “I know you weren’t too keen on Leni taking part in today’s task for whatever reason, but I didn’t peg you as the type of person to throw your kid under the bus for your own personal agenda.”

 

“I- What?!” Lena responded, half annoyed half completely clueless as to what was going on.

 

“Giving her incomplete work to hand in is honestly just plain mean.” Kara said for lack of better word. “You’re only doing wrong by her.”

 

It was then that Lena realized what Miss Danvers was talking about and it hit her like a freight train. She thought the work was incomplete, she thought that Lena had purposely not added anymore family members just to spite her daughter’s teacher.

 

“Miss Danvers, do you know who I am?” her voice was calm despite the storm brewing behind her eyes.

 

“Oh _please_ Miss Luthor, I’m sure your social status is very impressive but unfortunately it’s not going to be very effective in intimidating your child’s teacher into getting your own way.”

 

“No that’s not what I- Never mind. The work I handed in was complete, it’s just the two of us. Leni and I. _That’s_ why I didn’t want her taking part. I knew she’d see all the other kids with lots of family and she’d think we were different. She shouldn’t have to feel that way when it’s no fault of her own and I really _really_ don’t appreciate the accusations.” Her voice was becoming more and more venomous as she spoke. “How _dare_ you even think that I’d sink low enough to interfere with my daughter’s education. Maybe next time you should think before you open your mouth, Miss Danvers.”

 

Kara was completely taken aback. She immediately began kicking herself for not thinking it through. Oh god she screwed up. The look on the dark haired woman’s face wasn’t helping either. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears and Kara suddenly found herself missing the disapproving glares she usually fired in her direction.

 

“Oh, Miss Luthor I’m-.. I’m so __so__  sorry, I didn’t- God I’m such an idiot.” Kara began to stutter but she didn’t care this time. “For the record, Leni is an- an amazing kid and you’ve done such a great job with her. I really- God I’m really sorry.”

 

“Are we done here?” Lena asked, completely avoiding eye contact as she stepped to the side and walked around her towards the classroom without waiting for Miss Danvers to reply.

 

“Mommy!!” Leni came sprinting out, her little hands were covered in green paint but Lena scooped her up anyway as Kara watched from down the hall.

 

“My baby, I missed you!” she gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “Looks like someone has been busy! We’re gonna have to give you an extra long bath tonight.”

 

“We painted trees mommy, trees!”

 

“You did?! I can’t wait to see!” Lena replied excitedly. She didn’t set Leni down like she usually did after greeting her, instead she picked her bag up from her hook and put it on her own back before grabbing her lunch box and leaving immediately.

 

She walked past Kara without so much as a breath in her direction.

 

“Bye Miss Danvers!” Leni called out, waving happily at her.

 

“Goodbye Leni, I’ll see you on Monday!” she smiled back despite the guilt currently gnawing at her.

 

* * *

 

Kara couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation she’d had earlier with Leni’s mom. She’d been so proud of herself for standing up to her and now she just felt like the world’s biggest ass. She kept playing the words “Do you know who I am?” over in her head. Miss Luthor didn’t seem like the type to throw status around like that and it got Kara wondering just who she actually was. Kara knew she was rich and apparently some sort of business woman but beyond that she didn’t know anything. She’d only just moved to National City after getting her new teaching job last month and she still had to familiarize herself with the place.

 

She opened up her laptop to see if anything about the woman would come up, but once she got to the homepage she couldn’t remember her name. Was it Leanne? No.. Lena.

 

She typed in ‘Lena Luthor’ and was taken aback at the sheer number of things that immediately popped up. The first article on the screen was from a few days ago.

 

_**Lena Luthor spotted with daughter Elena at NC Bowling Alley earlier today.** _

 

Kara clicked onto the article and found herself scrolling down. There were a number of photographs of Lena, very clearly hiding Leni’s face in the crook of her neck as she carried her to the car. It was odd to see the woman in jeans and sneakers, Kara was so used to seeing her in business attire.

 

She clicked out of it and scrolled a little further until she found another, and another, and another.

 

_**Lena Luthor renames family company to ‘L-Corp’ shortly after brother’s suicide bombing incident.** _

 

**_Lex Luthor’s younger sister, Lena Luthor, found innocent after FBI questioning._ **

****

**_Lex Luthor, ex CEO of LuthorCorp, dead after detonating explosives in warehouse believed to have been terrorist headquarters._ **

****

**_Lena Luthor, pregnant?! The CEO was seen sporting what appears to be a baby bump just one month after the deaths of Lex and Lillian Luthor._ **

**_**** _ **

Kara slammed her screen closed, the knot in the pit of her stomach had grown exponentially and she had never felt so bad in her life.

 

Lena wasn’t a snobby rich mom who thought she was better than everyone else. Lena was a strong, successful single mom trying to do the very best she could for her daughter.

 

A single mom who’d been thrown into a really shitty situation by her family. A single mom who was also the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. A single mom who was only 27 years old and was actually _pulling off_  being a single mom and the CEO of multi-billion dollar company.

**_**** _ **

A single mom who Kara had managed to piss off beyond words. Oh god.

 

**_**_* * *_ ** _ **

**_**** _ **

It was mid afternoon on Sunday, two days after Lena’s conversation with Miss Danvers and Leni was happily running around on the outdoor play centre that Lena had gotten her for Christmas. She secretly loved it herself. It came complete with two swings, 3 large slides and a fireman’s pole. One side of it was a miniature rock climbing wall but Leni wasn’t quite able to do that part by herself yet.

 

Lena was contently swinging on the porch swing, cup of coffee in hand, watching Leni play when her phone began to ring. She looked down, expecting it to be Sam, but an unknown number was displayed across the screen.

 

“Hello, this is Lena Luthor.” she answered in her best, most professional business voice.

 

“Um, hi.” a quiet voice on the other end of the line said. “It’s Kara, uh- um sorry, it’s Miss Danvers, Leni’s teacher.” Lena pulled the phone away to frown down at the screen before putting it back up to her ear. “I know this might be a little weird but I was wondering if maybe, you’d like to.. um.. come and grab a coffee with me or something?”

 

Lena wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten her number, although she assumed it was probably from Leni’s emergency contact sheet.

 

“Miss Danvers, not to be rude, but quite frankly I’d rather pour coffee on myself than do that.”

 

Kara chuckled nervously on the other end of the line before realizing that Lena wasn’t laughing.

 

“Look, I know that I messed up and I’d really like the chance to make it up to you, or at the very least I’d like to apologize properly.”

 

“Ah, let me guess. You pulled out the old google search on me.”

 

“I- No.. Well, okay.. Yes. Sort of.”

 

“I don’t need your sympathy, Miss Danvers. Consider your apology accepted.”

 

“Please Miss Luthor, I-”

 

Kara was cut off as Lena hung up the phone and set her coffee to the side, suddenly no longer interested in drinking it.

 

She hated the whole thing, she didn’t like people knowing her business and it certainly didn’t help when her business was splattered all over the internet. She felt as though she was suffocating and it made her want to run away from it all, but then she’d hear Leni laugh and remember that she had responsibilities here. She’d think about the way her little girl drifted off to sleep in her arms when they’d stay up a little too late watching a movie and she’d remind herself that she wouldn’t want her life to be anywhere other than exactly where she was. Right here with her baby.

 

There was a loud crunching noise that jerked Lena out of her thoughts before Leni’s loud screaming surrounded her. She’d tripped and fallen on the gravel path and Lena ran over as quickly as she could.

 

“Oh gosh you’re fine, come here, you’re okay.” she scooped her up and felt her heart break at the tears currently running down Leni’s face as she continued to scream. “Mommy’s got you, you’ll be fine.”

 

She carried her into the house and set her down on the kitchen counter, her bare knees were all scraped up, she had blood dripping down her one of her shins and she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

 

“Leni I need you to look at me okay?” Lena held her onto the counter with her hands on either side. She was breathing heavily and the tears continued to streak down her face. “I need you to take a big deep breath for mommy, can you do that? Just copy me.”

 

She began to breathe deeply, holding it for a second before letting it out and Leni was soon mirroring her. When she’d calmed down enough, Lena moved her over to sit on the edge near the sink so that she could clean her up.

 

“This might sting a little alright, but you’re a big, brave girl I know you’ll be fine.” Lena kissed her on the head before bringing a wet cloth up to her leg and waited for her approval.

 

Leni nodded quietly, eyes still filled with unshed tears although she’d calmed down significantly.

 

It took a little over 15 minutes for Lena to get her all cleaned and bandaged up but she took it like a champ.

 

“There.. all done.” Lena finished up with the last band aid, a purple one with little white flowers on it.

 

“It hurts mommy.” Leni whimpered as she looked down at her knees, still bright red despite the band-aids covering her scrapes.

 

“Hey, I’m gonna tell you a secret, okay?” Lena cupped her cheek and tilted her head slightly to look at her. “Mommy has superpowers.” she whispered in a hushed tone.

 

“You do?!” Leni gasped.

 

“Mm hmm, I have a super magic kiss.” Lena whispered, crouching down a little so that she could reach Leni’s knees where she was still sitting on the counter.

 

She placed a gentle kiss on each of her knees before standing back up and smiling.

 

“Well? How do you feel now?”

 

“Better!” Leni exclaimed. “Thanks mommy.” she stretched her arms out and Lena picked her up straight away.

 

They spent the rest of the day eating ice cream, a reward for Leni’s bravery, and watching her favourite movies until she eventually passed out on Lena’s lap.

 

Once again, Lena carried her upstairs into her bed and fell asleep with Leni curled up safely beside her.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> questions? comments? concerns? the lyrics to smash mouth's all star? you know where to leave them ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god i really hate this chapter i've rewritten it like 5 times and it doesn't seem to be getting any better so pls just take this and bear with me

 

 “Miss Danvers?” a soft voice sounded quietly beside Kara’s desk while the rest of the kids were gluing the labels of their family members to their trees.

 

“Hey Leni, you alright sweetheart?” she smiled down at the little girl standing before her.

 

Her brow was furrowed ever so slightly, Kara had come to equate it with her struggling with something, much in the same way Lena’s did.

 

“I finished.” she pointed over to where her work was laying on the floor.

 

“Oh! Well done!” Kara smiled, standing up to go retrieve it for her. “It’s beautiful!”

 

Leni smiled shyly, brow still slightly furrowed and, after her conversation with Lena at the end of last week, Kara didn’t have to wonder why. She was most likely concerned about the other kids, who were still working away, and how fast she’d finished.

 

Kara scanned the room quickly before crouching down to Leni’s height.

 

“Hey, how would you like to draw a picture using my special glitter pens.” she whispered enthusiastically to her.

 

“Yes, please!” Leni gasped and eagerly began to nod, following closely behind as Kara went to fetch the glitter pens from the closet.

 

“Come on, you can sit over by my desk with me.” she led her to one of the teeny tables and set a blank piece of paper down. “What are you gonna draw?” Kara smiled as she took a seat at her own desk.

 

“I’m gonna draw my mommy.” Leni mumbled happily, already setting about the paper with her pens. “She has superpowers.”

 

Kara almost jumped at the sudden movement beside her as Leni’s hand shot up to cover her mouth with a loud gasp.

 

“Oh no.”

 

“Leni, sweetie are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

 

God, the last thing she needed to do was upset the youngest Luthor.

 

“Please don’t tell mommy I told you.” her tiny eyes pleaded. “It’s a secret.”

 

“Superpowers huh? Don’t you worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Kara zipped up her lips with her fingers and pretended to throw the key away for emphasis.

 

“She fixed my knee cuts.” Leni whispered, leaning in closer. “She has a super magic kiss.”

 

Kara smiled to herself as Leni resumed her drawing. She was finding it increasingly difficult to be annoyed with Lena when she heard stories like this from her kid. The guilt was still there, and she desperately wanted to apologize but she also respected herself too much to allow Lena to walk all over her. Super magic kiss or not.

 

* * *

 

Sam had picked Leni up from school so that Lena could stay late at work to handle a teleconference with one of L-Corp’s investors in Japan. She grudged the extra hours she had to spend in her office but it had to be done every once in a while, and she was beyond relieved to finally pull up outside Sam’s place later that evening.

 

The house was quiet as she opened the door and slipped off her heels before padding down the hall in search of her daughter.

 

She found both Leni and Sam in the living room, lights turned off and the television playing softly in the background.

 

“Hey.” Sam whispered as Lena smiled down at her sleeping daughter sprawled out on the couch beside her, a soft knitted blanket laying over her. “You want a coffee or something?”

 

“Sure.” Lena whispered back, leaning down to place a quick kiss on Leni’s forehead before they both headed to the kitchen.

 

“Oh here, she drew this for you in class today.” Sam handed Lena the sheet of paper that had been laying on the counter. “She was so excited for you to see it when I picked her up, I promised her I’d show you right away.”

 

Lena smiled as she looked down at the drawing. It didn’t really resemble much of anything, just a lot of colorful scribbles and a glitter explosion but god, if it didn’t make her heart soar knowing that her very favourite person had drawn it just for her.

 

“This was stuck to it.” Sam watched curiously as she handed Lena a little yellow sticky note with unfamiliar handwriting scribbled across it.

__

_Coffee on Saturday?_

_I’ll be at Noonan’s at noon._

_I’d love to see you there. Please._

_\- Kara Danvers_

Lena scrunched the note in her fist and tossed it down onto the counter as she muttered a few choice curse words under her breath.

 

“Wow okay what am I missing?” Sam set her coffee mug down as she took in the sight of Lena before her. “I thought Leni’s cute kindergarten teacher was asking you out? What’s with the tantrum?”

 

“God that woman is the most _insufferable, unrelenting- _”__ she uttered to herself as she began pacing.

__

“Lena!” Sam cut her off, laying a hand flat on the table in front of her to get Lena’s attention. “Are you going to tell me what all this is about or am I supposed to just read your mind?”

__

Lena reluctantly sat down and explained her current situation with Leni’s teacher to Sam, who listened carefully while they drank their coffee.

 

It wasn’t until she had gotten out everything that she had needed to when Sam finally spoke.

 

“Okay. So let me get this straight.” she cleared her throat before beginning . “The first impression you gave her of yourself was mocking her stutter, something that she’s probably already insecure about, and now you’re surprised that she assumed the worst about you? Look Lena, what she did was dumb and impulsive but can you really blame her? You went in there, guns blazing, in full mama bear mode. You’re my family and you know how much I love you, but I think you ought to talk to her about this.”

 

“Are you saying I don’t have a right to be pissed about this?!”

 

“Of course I’m not. You have every right to be hurt. Hell, I’m a little hurt. You know you’re an amazing mom and that kid loves you more than anything in the whole entire universe. You’re the strongest person I know Lena, but you have a tendency to focus only on her and forget that other people exist too. You really can’t blame the woman for coming to the conclusion that she did, even if it was a little naive.”

 

Lena remained silent, gnawing intently on the inside of her cheek as she processed what Sam was saying.

 

“Look, I’m not saying you’re in the wrong here, but she isn’t either. I just think you ought to talk to her about it, the only person it’s going to have a real impact on is Leni and I _know_ you know that I’m right. I say you go meet her for coffee and hear her out.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I’ll think about it. Thank you.” she pulled Sam in for a hug before depositing her now empty mug in the sink and heading back through to the living area. “I don’t know how I’d manage without you.”

 

“You wouldn’t.” she teased playfully, earning a gentle nudge from Lena as they both laughed.

 

“How long has she been out?” Lena nodded in Leni’s direction as she began collecting her things and zipping everything up into her bag pack.

 

“Not long, maybe a half hour before you got here. Her teeth and everything are brushed so you can take her straight to bed when you guys get home.”

 

It was already an hour past her bedtime and Lena always felt incredibly guilty on the nights that Leni would fall asleep without her there but she knew she was in great hands with Sam, and Leni loved spending time with her.

 

“Here, you take her stuff and go put your shoes on. I’ll carry her out to the car.” Sam handed Lena Leni’s lunchbox and Lena smiled gratefully.

 

“You really are a lifesaver, I hope you know that.” Lena sighed as she stepped into her heels once again.

 

“I do.” Sam smiled as she gently picked up a sleeping Leni, still wrapped warmly in her blanket, and carried her out to the car.

 

Leni didn’t stir again until Lena was lowering her down into her bed once they’d gotten home.

 

“Mommy?” she mumbled sleepily, eyes still closed as she settled down into her pillow.

 

“It’s me baby. Goodnight. I love you.” Lena planted a soft kiss on her cheek and then forehead.

 

“Lu you.” she muttered before passing out once again.

 

Lena turned her nightlight on before pulling the door closed a little and headed off to get herself ready for bed.

 

* * *

 

The following Saturday, Lena reluctantly dropped Leni off at Sam’s house because ‘ _you know I love watching her Lena, stop making excuses to get yourself out of this’_.

 

She pulled up outside the coffee place ten minutes early and gave herself a quick once over in the mirror before getting out of the car and heading inside.

 

Her eyes fell on the blonde woman immediately. She was sitting in a booth in the corner, two cups of coffee already sitting on the table, while she spoke in a hushed tone to whomever was on the other end of the call.

 

Lena managed to make out the word “Alex” and something about how she was freaking out before the blonde caught her eye and hurriedly hung up the phone.

 

She awkwardly shot up out of the seat to stand and greet Lena when she saw her approaching. Lena was significantly shorter than the woman after having swapped her louboutins and power suits out for her trusty converse and her favorite jeans.

 

“Thank you for coming I- uh, I wasn’t sure you would.” Kara smiled awkwardly. “I got you a coffee.” She gestured to the table as they each sat down opposite one another

 

“How did you know my order?” Lena asked as she eyed the cup suspiciously.

 

“Oh uh, Leni mentioned something about her mom’s yucky black water and I just kinda assumed you take it black.” she let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “and plus you know, I figured.. Business woman and all that. You must need the caffeine. N- not that you couldn’t manage without it because I’m sure that you could but-.. Never mind. I’ll get you another one if it’s wrong.”

 

“It’s fine Miss Danvers, thank you.” Lena took a sip before setting her cup down.

 

“You can call me Kara, you know.”

 

“Okay look, I only came here to tell you to stop. I appreciate the apology, I truly do and I also admit that it’s not entirely your fault. I know that I was out of line and I apologize for that. It was rude and childish of me and I’m sorry but I need you to stop. Sticking that note to my daughter’s work was unacceptable. She has nothing to do with this situation and I really don’t appreciate you using her as your messenger.” Lena snapped.

 

“Miss Luthor, all due respect, but it has everything to do with your daughter. I know it wasn’t entirely professional of me to do that but I really wanted a chance to clear the air with you. From what I’ve read, you seem like an amazing, incredible woman and-”

 

“What you read is internet gossip. You don’t know anything about me and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pretend to.” Lena cut her off coldly.

 

Kara’s friendly disposition quickly slipped away at Lena’s tone of voice.

 

“Well excuse me for wanting to believe the best in you, Miss Luthor. You’ve done nothing but be rude to me since the moment we met. It’s not my fault that Leni ended up in my class, although I’m incredibly grateful that she did. I may not know you, but I like to think that I know her and she’s a great kid. She’s super intelligent and she’s so incredibly kind and funny. I know she didn’t just magically gain those qualities, she had to learn them from someone. From _you._ That’s why I’m trying so hard. I know you’re not the rude woman you make yourself out to be. Leni is evidence enough of that.”

 

Lena could feel so many conflicting emotions bubbling up inside of her that she didn’t know what to do with herself. Part of her wanted to cry, but she also wanted to scream. To tell the woman in front of her to shut up. That she wasn’t any of those things. That Leni was her own person. Although another part of her wanted to sob because the blonde sitting opposite her had just told her everything she’d been needing to hear. That she wasn’t screwing her kid up.

 

“I- I’m sorry but I really have to go. Thank you for the coffee.” She tossed a twenty down on the table and quickly rushed outside, leaving Kara sitting alone at the table with yet another unfinished conversation looming over them.

 

* * *

 

Lena wasn’t sure why the sudden onslaught of emotions was currently hitting her right now.

 

She’d picked Leni up from Sam’s house straight after she had left the coffee house. They’d gone to the park and spent the day running around, sliding down the slides and making sand castles in the sand pit and now, after her usual bath and bed time routine, Leni was tucked up safely in her bed and had been sleeping soundly for the past few hours.

 

Lena, on the other hand, had been tossing and turning for the better part of an hour. She had tried to repress the earlier conversation, like she did with every other problem in her life, but for some reason she couldn’t seem to bury this one.

 

She felt as though her insides were repeatedly knotting and unknotting themselves and the words spoken earlier in the day just wouldn’t leave her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her anger wasn’t directed at Leni’s teacher, but more so at herself and she was growing increasingly frustrated by it.

 

She also couldn’t seem to get the sound of the other woman’s voice out of her head telling her that Leni had gained all of her best qualities from Lena, and she found herself tossing for another few hours.

 

Her mind rejected the compliment immediately, but the more it played in her head, the more she felt _something_ bubbling away deep down inside of her chest _ _.__ She couldn’t pinpoint the exact emotion, but it made her uncomfortable and she wanted it gone.

 

When Lena finally, _finally_ succumbed to sleep she was torn out of it by a tiny voice loudly screaming her name. Before her brain had the chance to catch up, her body was up and sprinting down the hall towards the source of the scream.

 

She swung the door open and was met with the sight of her baby, terrified, tears streaming down her face as she clung on tightly to her favorite stuffed animal, a little white sheep whom she’d decided to name ‘Chloe’.

 

“M- Mommy!” she cried out, diving out from underneath the covers and running across the bed into Lena’s arms.

 

Lena scooped her up onto her hip and held tightly to her tiny, shivering frame as she tried to calm her enough to talk to her.

 

“I got you, you’re okay baby. You’re alright. Did you have a bad dream?” she whispered soothingly as she stroked Leni’s dark curls.

 

“Monsters.” she felt her head nod from it’s spot buried in her neck and Leni’s tiny hands clung tightly to the front of Lena’s shirt.

 

Lena turned around and sat down on the bottom of Leni’s bed, adjusting her slightly so that she was sitting in her lap, face still buried in her neck.

 

Lena rubbed her hands up and down her back until the tears subsided. She whispered soft reassurances and hummed lightly, rocking from side to side until Leni was sleeping once again.

 

She tucked her back in to bed and yawned as she padded back into her own room, falling straight to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, I have a surprise for you.” Lena told Leni as she finished up her dinner the next day.

 

She pulled a bag out of the closet and began emptying the contents onto the counter as Leni watched intently.

 

“We’re gonna make some extra special monster spray to keep them away tonight.”

 

Leni’s eyes widened as she took in the empty spray bottle and the variety of different glitters and stickers laying in front of her.

 

“Really?” she gasped.

 

“Yup.” Lena smiled as she unscrewed the lid from the spray bottle and stuck a funnel into it. “Go nuts babe, those monsters aren’t gonna bother you again.”

 

She smiled as Leni set about pouring every possible color of glitter inside the bottle. She knew she’d probably be finding it in random places for months, but it would be worth it if Leni got something out of it.

 

Once she’d finished with the glitter, Lena handed her the stickers to decorate the outside of the bottle while she drew up a label for it.

 

Twenty minutes later, the lid was securely on the now colorfully labeled ‘Leni’s Monster Spray’ bottle. Lena gave it a quick shake and Leni giggled excitedly as the glitter swam around in the water.

 

They headed upstairs and Lena watched as Leni happily skipped around her room, spraying the water anywhere she thought a monster might feel like hiding. When she was content that there was no surface untouched, she turned to Lena once again.

 

“Can I do your room mommy? No monsters for you either.”

 

“Of course you can. Come on.” she held her hand out for Leni to take. 

 

Both Luthor girls slept contently that night, no monsters in sight.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up, this chapter gets a little heavy for a bit but everything is okay :)

 

 

“Hey mommy?” a tiny hand tugged on the sleeve of Lena’s coat as she looked down at Leni with a smile.

 

They were standing in the parking lot of Leni’s school with Miss Danvers, the rest of the class and a few parents while they waited for the bus that was going to take them to the park. The kids been learning about all of the different animals in class, and Miss Danvers thought it would be nice to take them on a trip to the park to see just how many different animals they could spot.

 

Leni had been bouncing off the walls with excitement about seeing the ducks for almost a week, so much so that Lena had bought her a pair of bright yellow ducky rain boots to wear.

 

“Yeah, babe?” she crouched down so that she could hear her better over the sea of excited 3 year olds.

 

“Can I please sit with Katie on the bus? Her mommy isn’t here.”

 

“Of course you can babe.” Lena smiled.

 

Leni thanked her with a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before running off to go tell her friend the good news that they’d be sitting together.

 

The bus pulled up a few moments later and Lena helped both Leni and Katie up the steps before making sure they were seated. It was almost comical seeing the two of them sitting together in the two large seats, they looked so tiny. She buckled their seat belts before turning around and realizing her mistake.

 

Each kid had a parent with them, apart from Katie, who was supposed to be sitting up front with Miss Danvers.

 

 _ _“_ Crap. _”__  Lena muttered as she made her way up the aisle to the front of the bus where the blonde woman was currently counting heads to make sure everyone was accounted for. When she was satisfied that everyone was there, she turned to Lena.

 

“Leni wanted to sit with Katie so it looks like I’ll be sitting here.” Lena told her, face completely expressionless.

 

“Oh! Great, that’s awesome!” Kara smiled enthusiastically, putting on her best teacher voice. “Window or aisle?”

 

“What?”

 

“Which seat would you like? Window or aisle?”

 

“Oh uh, whichever. Window I guess.”

 

They settled down and buckled up as the driver started up the engine. The same seats that had made Leni look tiny moments before suddenly seemed far too small, and the way Lena was pressing up against the other woman’s side was nothing short of awkward.

 

 The bus lurched to a start as both of them were jerked forward abruptly and Lena’s hand shot out to steady herself. She hadn’t realized she’d gripped on to the woman’s forearm until she heard her clear her throat and Lena embarrassingly let it go.

 

“Sorry.” she muttered.

 

“It’s fine.” Lena missed the way the blonde tried to suppress her smile.

 

To take her mind off the current embarrassment flowing through her, Lena pulled her phone out and began working through some of her emails. She had taken the morning off work to attend the field trip and she wanted to get through as many of them as possible so that she didn’t have to stay ridiculously late later that evening to catch up.

 

“You know..” a voice cut through her focus barely 5 minutes later.

 

Lena turned to the woman beside her, fully intent on telling her that she really had to get this work done, until she began to speak.

 

“.. Katie doesn’t have many friends. I know I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but her mom works double shifts and her dad is in the army. She’s a lot quieter than the other kids but Leni always makes sure to include her.” Kara smiled. “She’s a great kid.”

  
”Mmm.” Lena hummed in agreement. She wasn’t sure what else to say, but her heart smiled at the revelation.

 

* * *

 

They arrived at the park a half an hour later, and Lena waited until everyone else had cleared out of the bus before making her way back to help Leni and Katie out of their seats.

 

Since Katie’s parents couldn’t make it, her ‘mom’ for the day was Miss Danvers and Lena guided her over to the blonde woman, who was currently gathering everyone in a circle.

 

“Okay guys, today we’re going to focus on _aaaall_ of the different animals you see out here, and I want you to pick your favorite to draw once we’re back in class, alright?”

 

The kids nodded enthusiastically before everyone set off on the path around the lake.

 

Leni had insisted on hanging with Katie, which meant that Lena was stuck walking along with Miss Danvers as the kids excitedly pointed out everything they came across, ranging from birds, to worms in the grass, to all of the different leaves on the trees.

 

Lena snapped photos of everything Leni did while she ran around. Her bright yellow rain boots stuck out like a sore thumb but they were beyond adorable.

 

Kara watched intently as the raven haired woman laughed at her daughter, her camera flashing every few seconds, and it suddenly dawned on her that Lena mustn’t have a ton of photos of them together, seeing as she was always the one behind the camera.

 

“Hey, I could take a photo of the two of you if you’d like?” she offered up as they continued to walk.

 

“Oh, sure. That would be great.” Lena called Leni over before handing her phone to Miss Danvers. “You wanna take a pic with me, babe?” she held her arms out and Leni excitedly jumped into them as she scooped her up onto her hip.

 

Kara snapped a few before handing Lena her phone back. There was one of the two of them smiling, the bright green of the trees in the background paired with the water flowing behind them looked beautiful. There was another of Lena kissing her cheek while Leni smiled widely, and the final one was of them looking at one another, both mid laugh. You could see the love in their eyes and Lena immediately set it as her phone wallpaper, replacing the selfie she’d taken of them a few weeks back.

 

“Thank you.” she turned to Kara with a smile.

 

They hadn’t spoken much since Lena had run out on her a few weeks back when they’d gone to get coffee and the whole thing was still looming silently over their heads. Lena was more than happy to dismiss it, to just sweep it under the rug and forget about it. From her point of view, the issue had been dealt with. Although, Kara didn’t feel the same way.

 

Which left them walking in more awkward silence as they approached a few rows of picnic tables at the edge of the lake. The grass led all the way up to the water where a few ducks were already swimming around.

 

The area was well signposted, specifying that the ducks should not be fed under any circumstances, but Lena laughed as they swam around eagerly hoping for food anyway.

 

“Okay everyone we’ll stop here for lunch!” Kara announced to the parents as they each took up a spot on one of the benches pulled out their lunches.

 

Leni came running over and Lena helped her up onto one of the seats before setting their lunch out on the table. Kara and Katie followed closely behind them and the two women ate in silence as the girls chatted excitedly to one another.

 

Leni’s face was covered in jelly from her sandwich by the time she’d finished up and Lena laughed as she wiped it away.

 

“You’re supposed to eat your food not wear it, munchkin.” she smiled as she finished up cleaning Leni who stuck her tongue out cheekily in reply.

 

“Mommy can I go see the duckies now?”

 

“Of course, just give me a quick second.” Lena booped her nose playfully before collecting all of their wrappers and empty juice cartons from the table as Leni wriggled out of the bench seat.

 

Lena spotted the large dumpster over on the other side of the grass and turned to Kara to save them both making the trip over.

 

“Do you have anything for the trash?” she asked as Kara was finishing up her own sandwich.

 

“Oh, yeah just my wrapper. Thank you.” the blonde smiled.

 

She made her way over with the trash and dumped it all in quickly before turning to head back to where everyone was waiting.

 

Lena saw it happen in slow motion.

 

She saw a flash of yellow as those tiny little rain boots ran excitedly towards the ducks. She saw the moment they left the grass and hit the water. Then, Lena was sprinting, running as fast as she could. She was trapped in a slow motion nightmare, unable to catch up, watching as a head of dark curls disappeared beneath the murky water.

 

She was screaming, yelling at the top of her lungs for help. She couldn’t get there quick enough, her legs wouldn’t move any faster.

 

She almost missed the figure lowering themselves into the water as she ran.

 

She finally, _finally_  reached the side and dropped to her knees as the figure returned, dripping wet as the other parents helped hoist them out of the water.

 

Lena tried her very best to remain somewhat stable. She vaguely registered the other parents rushing their own kids away from the situation. Tears were streaking down her face and the panic was overwhelming, but she knew in the back of her mind that turning into a hysterical mess wouldn’t help anyone right now.

 

She almost lost what little remained of her composure when she saw her tiny little girl laying motionless on the grass, receiving CPR from the other dripping wet figure.

 

“Please baby, please wake up.” she begged, sobbing as she sat on the grass with Leni’s tiny hand resting in her own.

 

Almost as if she’d heard her, Leni began to come around, coughing and spluttering as Lena cried.

 

“Oh my baby, my precious girl. You’re alright, mommy is right here.”

 

It felt like hours before the loud sirens echoed throughout the area when in reality, barely a few minutes had passed. Lena’s brain refused to register anything but her little girl, still laying on the grass.

 

The ambulance crew came running towards them, immediately setting the stretcher down on the ground and pulling an oxygen mask over Leni’s face.

 

Once she was safely loaded up onto the stretcher, Lena broke down. She could barely stand and she wasn’t sure how she’d make it over to the ambulance. Her body was violently shaking and she struggled to keep herself upright until a strong hand snaked around her waist and held her tightly.

 

She turned to face the person currently responsible for keeping her on her feet and gasped as she took in the sight of a soaking wet Kara Danvers standing next to her.

 

Her crying seemed to intensify as she pulled the woman in for a hug.

 

“Thank you. Oh my god, thank you.” she sobbed into the taller woman’s neck. The water from her clothes was seeping into Lena’s but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

 

Kara guided her over to the back of the ambulance and held her hand as she helped Lena climb inside.

 

The paramedic in the back had already cut Leni’s wet clothes off and was in the process of wrapping her up in a warm blanket when Lena arrived.

 

“She seems okay for now.” The woman turned to Lena with a warm, reassuring smile. “We’ll just take her in to get checked out, and they might want to keep her overnight for observation.”

 

The ride to the hospital was one of the longest of Lena’s life. Leni had cried the entire time and Lena felt beyond helpless as she held onto her tiny little hand and tried to reassure her that, despite the sheer number of machines and monitors hooked up to her, she was going to be just fine.

 

* * *

 

The woman in the ambulance had been right, Leni was okay but they wanted to keep her overnight for observation to be completely sure that it was safe for her to go home.

 

Sam had rushed in the second she heard the news and had brought them each a fresh pair of clothes, some clean pyjamas and Leni’s monster spray, just in case.

 

Leni had been asleep when Lena broke down once again, in Sam’s arms this time. Sam had held her best friend, listened while she talked and let her cry as much as she had needed to before reluctantly having to leave to take care of Ruby. She kissed them both goodbye and told Lena she’d be there the next morning to pick them up and take them home.

 

Lena had changed both herself and Leni into their pyjamas before snuggling up on the hospital bed with her, but not before she sprayed every inch of the room to keep the monsters away.

 

And as she lay in bed, Leni tucked in safely to her chest, she made a mental note to have Jess send Miss Danvers a bunch of flowers to thank her for saving her little girl’s life.

 

.. Maybe a few bunches.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven’t read over this so pls excuse any mistakes

 

Lena didn’t sleep at all that night. Leni threw up a few times, the first time in the bed, and Lena sat by her with one of the provided cardboard sick bowls, making sure she aimed for that instead of the bed the next time. The sheets were changed and Lena wrapped her up in the blanket that Sam had brought from home. There were nurses coming in and out every so often, checking Leni’s blood oxygen levels and making sure everything was alright.

 

It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Lena noticed she seemed to be having a little trouble breathing. Her breath was coming out short and ragged, her little eyes filled with panic and Lena immediately hit the large button on the wall to call for the nurse.

 

He was there within a few seconds and Lena hurriedly explained what had happened as he began to check Leni over. Lena watched, feeling beyond helpless, as he swiftly pulled an oxygen mask over her face once again and helped guide her breathing until she eventually settled and Lena lay back up on the bed beside her, worriedly stroking her hair as Leni rested the side of her head on Lena’s chest.

 

“Respiratory stress is extremely common in near-drowning victims.” the nurse turned to Lena with a reassuring smile. “It typically develops a few hours after the incident, which is why we wanted to keep her overnight. We’ll continue to monitor her blood oxygen levels, they should return to normal soon, and if there’s anything else you need then please don’t hesitate.”

 

Lena thanked him before he left the room and she snuggled Leni in a little closer. She had no idea what to say to help ease her worries and every part of Lena wished she could take her pain away, to transfer it to herself and fight the battle for her. She could feel Leni getting worked up again, and Lena desperately tried to calm her before she ended up losing her breath yet again.

 

Lena pulled her blanket up around her a little more securely before she began humming softy, slowly working up to singing as she felt Leni begin to relax against her.

__

_“Your little hands wrapped around my finger,_

  
_And it's so quiet in the world tonight._

  
_Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming,_

  
_So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight.”_

 

 

 She resumed stroking her hair as she continued, watching as her little eyes began to flutter closed.

 

_To you, everything’s funny,_

_You got nothing to regret._

_I’d give all I have honey,_

_If you could stay like that._

 

Lena continued singing for a while, she was sure Leni was asleep but she didn’t want to risk waking her, just in case.

 

She thought back to the last time she’d been in this hospital, in the exact same position although with a significantly smaller Leni. She vividly remembers seeing the clump of dark hair appear before her tiny, tiny baby emerged and was immediately put onto her chest. She didn’t think she was capable of feeling emotions as powerful as the ones she’d felt during that moment, but Leni continues to prove her wrong every single day.

 

She thought about how she’d stayed up for hours, just _staring._  Taking in every single inch of her baby’s tiny features. Her thick dark curls, her teeny little button nose, the way her little hand wrapped so tightly around Lena’s finger. She couldn’t get enough of her.

 

_“Oh darling don't you ever grow up,_

_Just stay this little._

_Oh darling don't you ever grow up,_

  
_It could stay this simple._

  
_I won't let nobody hurt you,_

  
_Won't let no one break your heart,_

  
_No one will desert you,_

  
_Just try to never grow up.”_

__* * *_ _

__

Leni was doing a lot better when she woke the next morning. Lena had stayed awake the entire night to watch over her, just in case anything else were to happen, and she was exhausted. They ate toast with raspberry jelly smeared across it for breakfast and Lena attempted to force down the hospital coffee in an effort to wake herself up a little.

 

The doctor came in while they were eating their food and gave them the all clear to go home.

 

“Her blood oxygen levels have regulated themselves and everything else is perfectly fine, although I’d recommend she take things easy for the next few days.” she left with a smile and Lena immediately sent a text off to Sam to let her know that Leni was being discharged.

 

“We’re going home mommy?”

  
”We’re going home, babe.” Lena replied with a smile before she began tidying up the room and packing away their things.

 

“Mommy?” Leni asked quietly from the bed and Lena immediately turned to face her. “Can we watch Moana when we go home?”

 

Lena let out a laugh at that. She might have just gone through hell, but Leni was still very much Leni.

 

“We can do whatever you want to do baby.” she leaned over to place a quick kiss on her forehead before she finished up packing up their clothes and Leni’s things.

 

Sam arrived not long after Lena finished, a coffee cup clutched in her hand as she passed it on to Lena.

 

“I figured you’d be dying for your daily dose of caffeine and I imagine the stuff they have here probably doesn’t meet Lena Luthor’s standards.” She joked as Lena pulled her in for a hug.

 

“Oh God Samantha Arias I could kiss you right now!” she laughed, gratefully taking a long sip from the still steaming cup as Sam headed over to Leni.

 

“Hey bug, how are you doing?” she asked as she reached down to hug Leni lightly.

 

“M’better” she smiled, emphasizing her statement with a smile.

 

“Good to hear it.”

 

* * *

 

Sam drove them both back to Lena’s house and helped them inside with their things.

 

Leni let out a quiet gasp as she entered the living room and her eyes fell upon the couple dozen balloons strewn all around the room with the words “Welcome Home!” and “Get Well Soon!” printed in large letters across them. There were a good few scattered on the floor and even more floating around the ceiling thanks to the helium.

 

“You didn’t have to do this.” Lena turned to Sam with a grateful smile.

 

“Maybe not, but I am the best aunt.” Sam winked

 

“That you are.”

 

“Speaking of being the best, I already spoke to Jess for you and everything at work is being handled, so you can take the rest of the week off without having to worry. Oh, and you can probably expect her here tomorrow at some point to visit your mini me.”

 

“You’re a lifesaver, seriously, thank you.”

 

“I’m here if you need anything else, just give me a call.” Sam pulled her in for a tight hug. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

Lena let out a shaky exhale as she looked over at Leni, happily sitting on the floor playing with the balloons.

 

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be fine. She’s fine.”

 

Sam left shortly afterwards and Lena brought a few fuzzy blankets down from the closet upstairs and settled contently onto the couch with Leni to watch her movie of choice, Moana.

 

They spent the entirety of the day snuggled up, moving only for a quick dinner of plain pasta with some chicken, broccoli and cheese grated over it. It was still early when Leni passed out during their third re-watch of the movie and Lena had just scooped her up from the couch and was heading to the stairs, fully intent on passing out right alongside her, when the doorbell rang.

 

She adjusted Leni’s sleeping head on her shoulder and tightened the blanket around her as she made her way over to the door. Peeping through the glass hole, her eyes fell on the back of a blonde head.

 

Lena immediately unlocked the door and the woman turned around, Kara flashed a smile as she greeted Lena.

 

“Hi, I’m so sorry to just show up like this but the kids made Leni a card in class today and I promised them I’d deliver it.” she smiled sheepishly. “and I wanted to check that you were both doing okay.”

 

“Oh, thank you.” Lena adjusted Leni once again before reaching out to take the card with the arm that wasn’t wrapped around her sleeping daughter. “Would- Uh, Would you like to come in?” she asked tentatively.

 

“Oh no it’s fine. I just wanted to stop by and make sure she was alright, and you know, deliver the card.”

 

“Thank you.” Lena smiled. Actually, genuinely smiled. “For everything.”

 

“It was no problem.” Kara waved her off.

 

“No, really. Thank you. You may have saved Leni, but Kara Danvers you’re __my__  hero.”

 

Lena would blame it on the lack of sleep in the morning. She’d had a crazy few days. That’s why she’d said it. She hadn’t slept for almost two days. Tired Lena was softer than regular Lena. Right?

 

The blonde woman laughed quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping child on Lena’s shoulder.

 

“I’m glad she’s okay.” Kara smiled before walking off and heading back down the driveway.

 

* * *

 

Lena woke the next day feeling a little better than she had been. She didn’t get a ton of sleep, her mind kept drifting to Leni and the need to make sure she was alright, so she was up and down every hour or so to check on her, but she’d thankfully slept significantly more than she had the night before.

 

She cut up some strawberries, a banana and put a few grapes in one of Leni’s bowls for breakfast and then poured her a glass of orange juice before sitting down beside her, her own mug of coffee clutched in her hand as she tucked into her bowl of cornflakes.

 

It was the middle of the week and Lena felt odd not being in work. She typically had her weekends free to spend time with Leni, and she always made sure to plan activities so that they could make the most of their time together, but now she was stumped for ideas. The doctor had told her to make sure Leni takes it easy for the next few days and Lena racked her brain for things they could do to keep her occupied.

 

“Hey mommy can we do the Frozen song?” Leni asked with a mouthful of strawberries, most of which were dripping down her face and onto her pyjamas.

 

Lena stared in amusement, laughing to herself as she took in the mess.

 

“Once you finish eating, of course we can.”

 

Leni tried to speed eat the rest of her food before Lena warned her to slow down. Once she finished, at a normal pace, Lena stripped her pyjama top off and replaced it with a clean vest, wiping the remains of her breakfast from her face before she quickly tidied up the kitchen.

 

“Mommy! Frozen song now?” Leni called from down the hall and Lena followed her voice to the living room where she was already standing at the AUX cord, patiently waiting for Lena’s phone.

 

She pulled up ‘Let It Go’ on YouTube and plugged her phone in as the song began blasting through the speakers and Leni cheered excitedly.

 

Lena danced alongside her, laughing wildly as Leni broke out in a variety of different, but equally uncoordinated, twirls and leg kicks as she sang happily, dancing among the balloons. Halfway through, an idea popped into Lena’s head and she turned away for a second.

 

“Hey babe listen to this.” she got Leni’s attention before facing away and sucking the helium out of one of the balloons and turning back around.

 

She began to sing along to the music and Leni completely and utterly lost it. She laughed and screamed like a crazy person as Lena continued to belt out the words in her squeaky, high pitched helium voice.

 

Just as they were finishing up, the doorbell sounded once again and Lena gave Leni a quick kiss before heading through to open it.

 

“Jess, hi!” she squeaked, earning a curious look from her assistant before clearing her throat and praying her voice would return to normal. “Come in.”

 

Lena watched in amusement as Jess carried in two large black bin liners, both slightly overflowing, and a huge stack of what appeared to be different colored envelopes.

 

Lena lead her through to the kitchen where she set everything down on the counter.

 

“What’s all this?” she laughed.

 

“Gifts. From everyone at the office. They were all so worried when they heard the news and I came in this morning to all this.” Jess gestured to the bags.

 

“Wha- Really?” Lena’s voice was laced with surprise as she eyed the stack of, what she’d assumed to be, cards sitting on the counter.

 

“Don’t act so surprised, you’re a great boss, Lena. We all love you, and Leni.”

 

“I- Thank you.” Lena couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that they’d done all this for her. “Please give everyone my best, I’ll be back on Monday.”

 

“No problem.” Jess smiled. “Anything else?”

 

“Oh yes actually there is one other thing, I need you to see about a flower delivery. Lots of flowers. Like, a lot of them. As many as possible. The most they’re willing to send. I’ll text you the address.”

 

Jess eyed her curiously but made a note on her phone of what Lena had said before Leni came running through to greet her.

 

“Jess!” she exclaimed, skipping happily over to give her a hug.

 

* * *

 

Leni had gone to bed that evening with around 50+ new stuffed animals and she’d insisted on sleeping with every single one of them. Lena was quietly taking photos of her, adorably asleep with all of her new friends, when her phone buzzed and she left the room.

 

“Hello, this is Lena Luthor.” she answered quietly as she padded down the hall towards her room.

 

“Hi, it’s Kara again. Kara Danvers.” the voice on the other end said.

 

“Oh, hey.” Lena closed her door halfway behind her as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

 

“So um, my apartment is overflowing with flowers?”

 

“Really?” Lena replied indifferently in an effort to remain composed.

 

“Yeah, uh, you really didn’t have to do that.”

 

“Yes, I did actually. I don’t want to think about what could’ve happened had you not been there and did what you did. It really means the world to me and this was the very least I could do to express my gratitude.”

 

If part of Kara was secretly dying to ask Lena to meet her for coffee once again but was worried about taking advantage of her in her current state, Lena didn’t notice.

 

They hung up, and Lena immediately climbed into bed. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again i haven't read over this so pls excuse any mistakes, love u all xx

 

 

Leni’s first few days back at school had gone wonderfully. She was completely back to her old self and Lena finally began to ease up on worrying about her every second of every day.

 

They had spent most of their week off indoors, playing around the house and Lena had introduced Leni to baking. They’d made cookies and cupcakes together, although Leni very clearly stated that the cupcakes were her favorite. She’d loved being able to decorate them however she pleased with the large variety of toppings and icing that Lena had purchased.

 

The day after Jess had stopped by with the bags of presents, Lena sat Leni down and asked her how she would feel about donating her gifts to those in need. Leni had more than enough toys as it was, and Lena had the financial stability to buy her everything she could ever need and more, but she was painfully aware of the fact that a lot of others weren’t so fortunate. She’d explained to Leni in milder terms how some little boys and girls weren’t as lucky as they were, and that they didn’t have a lot of toys like she did. Leni immediately insisted that her gifts be donated to them.

 

Lena had offered her the chance to pick and keep one of them, any one of her choosing, but Leni had declined, maintaining that they _all_ had to be donated. They’d looked online for a place that they could be sent off to, and later that day all of the stuffed animals and toys that Leni had received were packed up and on their way to those unfortunately less fortunate than themselves.

 

While she knew everything at work was being taken care of, Lena still made sure to keep up with her emails. It was mid week when noticed she’d received one from Leni’s school titled __‘_ Daddy/ Daughter Dance _’.__

__

According to the information provided, the dance was being held the following weekend and Lena had immediately made a call to the school asking if she’d be able to accompany Leni. She made sure to voice her opinion on how the dance should’ve been labeled something more inclusive when they told her it was perfectly okay for her to attend.

 

* * *

 

“Are you excited to go pick out an outfit for the dance?” Lena asked with a smile as she zipped Leni up into her coat the next again week.

 

 She nodded enthusiastically in reply.

 

“Can I wear a dress mommy?” she spoke down to Lena as she tied the laces of Leni’s sneakers, making sure they weren’t going to come loose before she looked up.

 

“You can wear whatever makes you feel good, babe. Whatever you want.”

 

“A dress.” Leni nodded confidentially.

 

“Then a dress you shall wear.” Lena playfully booped her nose before extending a hand out to her as they headed out the door and into the car.

 

They stopped for lunch at one of Lena’s favorite cafes. It wasn’t anything extravagant, the place in itself was actually rather small but she loved the simplicity of it. It was quiet, but the staff were always extremely friendly and the food was amazing. It wasn’t the type of place one would typically expect Lena Luthor to be seen hanging around in.

 

They were seated in a corner booth by one of the waitresses who immediately took their order. Lena requested a coffee and a bagel for herself, and a sandwich and hot chocolate for Leni.

 

Her little eyes widened when the waitress returned with their order and set the mug down on the table in front of her. The whipped cream was stacked up way beyond the rim and it was littered with tiny marshmallows and grated chocolate. Lena snapped a quick pic of Leni beaming at her with her hand wrapped around the large mug.

 

They ate their lunch happily, Lena listened as Leni rambled on about whatever random thought popped into her head, and once they’d finished up she called the waitress over and requested a chocolate chip muffin to split between the two of them, it was a special day after all.

 

“Miss Danvers?” Leni said as Lena set about slicing the muffin in half.

 

“What about her?” she replied as she tried to locate a napkin to set Leni’s half down on.

 

“Over there! Miss Danvers!” she exclaimed, significantly louder than she had before, and Lena looked up as she caught sight of the woman standing up at the front door, accompanied by another slightly taller, dark haired woman, clearly waiting to be seated.

 

Kara headed over immediately when she saw them.

 

“Hey Leni, how are you?” she asked enthusiastically as Leni eyed the other woman. “Oh, sorry how rude of me. This is my sister, Alex.” she gestured to the woman standing beside her. “Alex, this is Leni Luthor, one of my very best students” she spoke more to Leni than Alex.

 

“Nice to meet you, Leni!” Alex extended a hand out to her, but Leni quietly scooted over to Lena and climbed up into her lap, promptly burying her face in her mom’s chest as she toyed absentmindedly with Lena’s fingers.

 

Lena laughed as she rubbed a hand up and down over Leni’s back.

 

“Sorry, I guess she’s feeling a little shy today.” she told Alex. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Lena.”

 

Lena was too busy focusing on Leni to notice the look Alex shot in Kara’s direction. She did, however, look up in time to see Kara elbow her sister in the ribs.

  
”Well, I guess we better get going. Have a nice day.” Kara promptly excused both herself and Alex before wandering off to their own table.

 

Leni settled back into her own seat after they had gone and began tucking into her muffin.

 

The dress shop was pretty close by so they decided to head there on foot after they’d finished up with lunch. The two of them walked hand in hand down the street, pointing out exciting things in the display windows of the stores they passed.

 

“Hey, mommy?”

 

“Yeah, baby?”

 

“Will I ever have a sister like Miss Danvers’ does?”

 

“Maybe one day, babe. I really hope you will.” Lena squeezed her hand gently as she looked down at her with a smile.

 

“Me too, mommy.”

 

* * *

 

They’d been in the dress shop for a half an hour already. Lena had wrestled Leni into at least five dresses so far and she hadn’t liked any of them. She was becoming increasingly more irritable the longer they stayed, and Lena knew if they didn’t find a dress soon then they’d have to call it a day before Leni had a meltdown or decided to just drop and fall asleep on the shop floor.

 

Her phone’s camera roll currently resembled the bridesmaids section of a bridal magazine, but Leni had just looked __so__  adorable in every single one of the different colored dresses that Lena couldn’t help herself.

 

She’d narrowly avoided a tantrum when Leni’s eyes fell on one of the large white wedding dresses hanging from the rack and insisted she try it on. Lena had distracted her with a beautiful pink dress that she’d spotted hiding amongst the bridal section.

 

“ _Ohhhh Leni look_ , let’s go try this one!” She said excitedly, taking her hand and guiding her away from the wedding dress and into the changing room.

 

She zipped her up into the dress before heading back through to see what Leni thought about the dress. Lena felt herself tearing up as she watched Leni step up onto the little podium to make her decision in front of the large mirrors.

 

The dress was beautiful. It was a light shade of pink with a satin bodice and a stunning silver lace appliqued collar. The skirt of the dress was a matching pink, but had a soft silver tulle overlay with subtle little stars printed on it.

 

“What do you think babe?” Lena asked as Leni experimented with a few twirls, giggling as the skirt spun out with her.

 

“This one mommy.”

 

* * *

 

The day of the dance came around quickly and Lena had to stop by the store to collect the tailored version of Leni’s dress and pick up her own outfit. From what she’d gathered, she was going to be the only mom there from Leni’s class and she was a little nervous. She had to stop by another few other stores to pick up some bits and bobs for later on in the evening, before making her way to pick Leni up from school.

 

“Hey monkey, good day?” she asked as Leni clung to her while she attempted to find her lunch box. She nodded happily before Lena managed to locate it in the wrong cubby hole, and after double checking that it was definitely Leni’s, they headed back to the car.

 

Leni was asleep by the time Lena pulled up into the driveway and she quickly carried her inside and set her down on the couch, setting a pillow down beside her so that she wouldn’t roll off, before heading back to the car to bring in everything she’d purchased earlier.

 

Lena hung up their outfits on the rack upstairs in her room before setting up a few other things at the kitchen island. When she was satisfied with everything downstairs, she quickly headed up to the bathroom to run a bath for Leni and grabbed a quick 2 minute shower before going down to wake her.

 

“Leni, time to wake up babe.” she whispered as she gently rubbed her back.

 

Leni’s eyes fluttered open before a pout took over her face and she flipped herself around, grumbling as she closed her eyes again and nuzzled into the pillow.

 

“Oh well, I guess you don’t want to see the surprise I set up for you.” Lena stood up from the couch and shrugged before Leni’s head shot up. Her hair was a mess, all tangled from sleep and her little cheeks were flushed a warm pink color but her hands reached out and Lena smirked as she bent down to grab her.

 

Once she’d been bathed and her hair had been washed, Lena pulled a robe over her and they headed back downstairs to the kitchen where Lena had set up a mini nail bar. She rarely did her own nails and Leni had never had hers done so she thought it would be a nice thing to surprise her with before the dance.

 

She lifted Leni into her usual seat before sitting beside her and pulling all of the different colored polishes towards her so that she could have a better look.

 

“Which color mommy?” Leni asked as she gawked at them.

 

“You pick babe, what color do you wanna wear?”

 

“Hmmm” she scanned over them, occasionally picking one up and then setting it back down before she found one she liked. “This one!”

 

She’d gone with a glittery gold color and handed the bottle over to Lena.

 

“Excellent choice Miss Leni. I think I’ll wear this one too, we can match.” Lena smiled as she cracked open the bottle and began painting Leni’s nails for the first time.

 

* * *

 

Getting a three year old to sit still long enough for her nails to dry was not as easy activity. Lena had tried to distract her with a game of I Spy until they were dry to the touch and semi safe to move around with.

 

They headed back upstairs and Leni lay on Lena’s large bed, watching intently as her mom applied her makeup in the bathroom mirror and then moved on to curling her hair. Lena had set a movie up on the television in her room for Leni to watch but she wasn’t paying much attention to it. Instead, she was questioning every product Lena picked up and Lena was left explaining the purpose of each item while she applied it.

 

“Okay, this is the last one.” she held up the little black stick to Leni. “My lipstick. It makes my lips change color, see?” she watched Leni’s reaction in the mirror as she applied the dark red color to her lips.

 

“Oh can I wear some mommy? _Pleeease?"_

 

Lena contemplated it for a second before giving in and agreeing to let her wear some lipstick, but only after she was dressed.

 

“Okay but we’ll put a nice pink one on you okay? This one is a little dark.”

 

“Okay mommy.” Leni smiled excitedly.

 

It took a little over an hour to get them both dressed and ready to go. Sam and Ruby had arrived a few minutes earlier to see them off and they each gasped as the girls descended the stairs.

 

“Oh, Lena. You look..” Sam trailed off, completely in awe.

 

“Beautiful! You look beautiful!” Ruby finished for her.

 

Lena’s suit was tailored perfectly. The tight black pants and blazer hugged her curves perfectly in all the right places. She wore a white shirt underneath with a pink tie, an exact match to Leni’s dress and she had opted for her pink heels to keep the theme going while Leni wore sparkly gold sandals.

 

“You look very ‘Daddy’ indeed.” Sam leaned in and whispered to Lena as Leni showed off her dress to Ruby down the hall.

 

“Samantha!” Lena squawked indignantly. “Don’t be disgusting!” she elbowed her playfully in the ribs.

 

Sam swerved her attack and held her hands up innocently.

 

“Hey look I’m just saying, if I were a certain blonde teacher I would be very inclined to make a move on you tonight.”

 

“Wha- That’s not.. No, Sam- It’s a _kids_ dance! Stop making this awkward.” Lena grumbled as Sam laughed.

 

They headed down the hallway towards the kitchen, stopping at the blank wall so that Sam could take a few photos of them both with the plain background. They each passed their phones around, switching out people for each photo until they all had a one with every possible combination of people on each of their phones.

 

“Okay, okay mom enough.” Lena joked as Sam continued to snap pics as they headed back down the hall to the door.

 

“I’m not even sorry.” She replied, snapping another few as Lena and Leni walked hand in hand to the car before taking off for their first Daddy/ Daughter Dance.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanna say a quick thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave a comment/ kudos etc, it really motivates me to keep writing, so thank u all :)

 

 

Kara had arrived at the venue a little before everyone was scheduled to show up. She was put in charge of drink duty for the evening and took up her post as the hall began steadily filling up. There were four different preschool classes, including her own, from their school in attendance and she smiled happily as she took in the sight of all the kids dressed up adorably with their fathers.

 

The hall was decorated beautifully, there were large twinkle lights strung across the walls and draped along the ceiling. The other teachers had been working on the decorations for the past few days and they’d made a number of large cardboard stars and spray painted them a range of different metallic colors before stringing them up to the ceiling to dangle down above the dance floor.

 

The DJ booth was set up in the corner, blasting a kindergarten friendly playlist consisting mostly of Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and the occasional Ed Sheeran song thrown in. Kara smiled as she watched everyone take to the dance floor, the kids roping their father’s into dancing with them.

 

It wasn’t until a few songs later that Kara’s eyes mindlessly drifted to the door. The DJ had just began blasting Abba’s Dancing Queen throughout the large hall and Kara’s jaw hit the floor as her eyes fell on the newest arrival. She watched as Lena Luthor came strutting in, wearing the tightest suit Kara had ever seen her wearing. It was more of a party suitable outfit, compared to her usual work suits, and the way she walked commanded the attention of the entire room. She glided effortlessly across the floor despite her tall heels and Kara forgot to breathe for a second.

 

She had forgotten she was in the middle of pouring a glass of punch until one of the fathers cleared his throat and Kara snapped back to reality.

 

“S-sorry, sorry.” she laughed nervously, filling the plastic cup before handing it off to the guy and letting out an long exhale as he walked away.

 

Her eyes subconsciously found Lena again. She was over on the other side of the room, both hands linked with Leni’s while they laughed together and danced along to the upbeat rhythm of the music. Kara hadn’t been expecting to see her here, what with it being a father/ daughter dance and all, but she couldn’t help the glimmer of pride that shone brightly in her chest over Lena showing up. She played both roles in Leni’s life after all, she had every right to be here. _You go Lena _,__  Kara thought to herself as she watched them.

 

She passed out juice boxes and glasses of punch to each of the kids and parents that headed her way but her eyes always managed to find their way back to Lena. Kara wasn’t sure what it was, why she was so inexplicably drawn to the younger woman, but she found herself desperately wanting to know her. Of course, the surface answer would be Lena’s appearance. Lena was beautiful by literally _everyone’s_ standards, what with her curvaceous figure and beautiful porcelain skin, perfectly complemented by her shiny dark hair _ _.__  But Kara knew that wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t seem to stop staring, she knew she wasn’t the type of person to ogle shamelessly over a woman as though she were an object.

 

Lena was strong. Kara wasn’t sure how she managed, how she balanced everything in her life with such grace and beauty, and she admired the woman for it. Lena seemed like the type of person Kara wanted to know, despite her often difficult personality. Kara knew that person wasn’t who she was deep down on the inside and it intrigued her to no end.

 

Kara was relieved from her post for a quick fifteen minute break and she headed over to a quiet corner of the hall and sunk down the wall until she was seated on the floor, hidden in the shadows as she observed the dance.

 

“Hey, what are you doing on the floor?” a pair of pink heels stepped in front of her line of vision a few minutes later and Kara looked up into the eyes of none other than Lena Luthor herself.

 

“Oh- Uh.. You know.” she laughed nervously, a hand coming up to adjust her glasses, more so out of habit that actually needing to adjust them. “I like it down here.”

 

Lena raised her eyebrow questioningly, shooting Kara a curious look before she turned around, back to the wall and sank down beside her.

 

“What are you doing?!” Kara asked as Lena reached the floor and she replied with a shrug.

 

“I can’t see what’s likeable about being down here if I’m up there, can I?” Lena stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “How did you get roped into coming to this anyway?”

 

“Oh, I volunteered.” Kara said quietly as she looked around the room.

  
”Why on earth would you want to do that?” Lena laughed in surprise.

 

“I-..” Kara began, trailing off when she caught Lena’s eye. “It’s dumb.” she shrugged. “I lost both of my parents in an accident when I was a kid, and then my adoptive father passed away a few years ago. I guess I just like things like this, it’s comforting to see the happiness. It’s like.. a reminder that things can be okay, ya know?”

 

Lena studied her face for a moment before looking away.

 

“I’m sorry.” she spoke kindly, kinder than Kara had ever heard her speak to anyone who wasn’t Leni. “You didn’t have to tell me that.”

 

“I mean, I already know everything about you so I figured it was only fair to share something about me.”

 

“You don’t.” Lena’s head snapped back to face her and Kara immediately regretted her choice of words. “You don’t know everything about me. You may know some of what has happened _to_  me but you don’t know _me _.__ ”

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean-” Kara began before she was cut off.

 

“It’s alright.” Lena shook her head.

 

The air between them was tense and the silence was extremely awkward for a moment before Kara realized Lena’s usual shadow was missing.

 

“Hey, where’s Leni?” she asked curiously.

 

“Oh, she’s over there.” Lena nodded in the direction of the dance floor where Leni was currently breaking out her very best dance moves alongside her friend Katie and a few other kids from Kara’s class.

 

“Sick moves.” Kara joked as they watched her dance. Leni was really going for it. She was throwing in all of her best twirls and leg kicks, her arms flailing around wildly and Lena let out a laugh.

 

“I have no idea where those moves come from.” she smiled. “Certainly not me, that’s for sure.”

 

“Are you saying that Lena Luthor doesn’t have sick dance moves?” Kara feigned shock, pressing a hand to her chest as she gasped in horror.

 

“On the contrary, I’m saying I have even sicker dance moves.” Lena corrected her.

 

“Oh, now this I’ve got to see.” Kara stood up and extended a hand out to Lena.

 

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do. She hadn’t even notice Lena’s walls had begun to come down until they had shot back up. She could see it in her eyes, the way she completely shut herself off to Kara.

 

Lena scrambled up from the floor, a little ungracefully in her heels, and straightened her outfit up a little before brushing the dust from the floor off of her pants.

 

“You don’t have to do that you know.” Kara stated as Lena stared at her. “You don’t have to shut people out when you think they’re getting close to you. It’s not a bad thing, to let someone in.”

 

“You don’t know me, please stop pretending that you do.” Lena’s cold voice was back. The one she used as a defense mechanism to scare people off. “If you’ll excuse me, I should be getting back to my daughter.”

 

Kara let out a sigh as Lena made to walk away, and the woman whirled around immediately.

 

“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” she asked.

 

“No Lena, there’s no problem.” Kara threw her hands up in defeat. “I should be getting back over anyway.” she gestured to the large juice station before walking off.

 

* * *

 

Lena watched as Kara stalked off and she wanted to scream at herself. God, why couldn’t she just be normal?

 

It was as though every fibre of her being completely rejected the idea of letting people in, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She didn’t feel worthy of kindness or compassion, so she closed herself off. She wasn’t a person worth getting to know, she was more hassle than she was worth. That’s what she told herself.

 

Lena shook off the urge to cry, remembering where she was as she blinked rapidly. She looked around in search for Leni who she immediately located running around chasing the patterned lights being projected onto the dance floor. Lena caught Kara’s eye from the other side of the room, quickly looking away before running over to Leni and scooping her up from behind.

 

She might be a shitty human being, unable to form normal relationships with people, but she was a great mom. _That_ she could do. And so that’s exactly what she did.

 

She spent the remainder of the evening dancing and laughing with Leni, and she ended up having a great time. It was exactly like a regular Saturday afternoon in their living room, although they were significantly better dressed and the music consisted of more than just the same song being played on repeat.

 

By the time the DJ announced the final song of the evening and requested that _everyone_ get up to dance, Leni was sleeping on her feet. She’d exhausted herself running around all evening and Lena scooped her up, a hand resting on her head as Leni snuggled into her shoulder and the final song began to play.

 

_I got sunshine on a cloudy day,_

_When it’s cold outside,_

_I’ve got the month of may._

__

Lena swayed, gently taking steps on the spot as she spun them round in a slow circle.

 

“Mommy I’m sleepy.” Leni yawned into her shoulder.

 

“It’s okay babe you can go to sleep if you want.” Lena placed a soft kiss on her cheek as she began drifting off.

 

“What about the sugar bugs?” she mumbled and Lena couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her at that.

 

“Don’t worry we’ll brush them all out tomorrow, your teeth will be fine, I promise.” she assured her with another kiss.

_I’ve got so much honey that the bees envy me,_

_I’ve got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees._

__

Lena spotted Kara dancing alone a little way over and she caught her eye once again before casually making her way over to where she was, swaying to the music as she went.

 

Lena had no idea what she was doing or why she was doing it, but she felt compelled to let the woman know that she wasn’t intentionally trying to be an awful person to her. Well, not intentionally _any more._

__

__“_ I’m sorry."_ Lena tried to mouth when she got close enough to the blonde woman currently dancing on her own, but Kara seemed to completely avoid looking in her direction.

 

_I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day_

_with my girl._

_I’ve even got the month of may_

_With my girl._

_She’s all I can think about,_

_My girl._

 

The song finished up and Lena watched as a head of blonde hair headed straight off the dance floor and made a bee line for the door, leaving before she had a chance to say anything.

 

* * *

 

Lena lay in bed later that night tossing and turning. She thought about what Kara had told her about her parents and then her adoptive father passing, and her reason for attending the dance. She’s not sure why it struck her so hard, but she’d always assumed a person _that_  annoyingly happy and upbeat all the time must have come from a typical white picket fence family.

 

It hurt her to think about how the woman might be feeling some of the same feelings that Lena was, because Lena knew loss and it tore her up inside. She knew loss very well, but apparently so did Kara.

 

She blindly located her phone on the nightstand, wincing as the harsh glare from the screen shone into her sensitive eyes before she rushed to turn the brightness down. She pulled up her messages and began to type one out.

 

_Lena: I’m sorry about tonight. I think we should talk._

 

She sent it quickly before she had the chance to talk herself out of it, staring blankly at the screen until it began buzzing and her heart jumped into her throat. She hadn’t been expecting a reply until the next morning, given the current hour. She let out a breath before hitting the little green answer button.

 

“Hi.” she spoke quietly.

 

“Hey.” Kara replied, equally as quiet.

 

“I’m sorry.” Lena blurted out. She was met with silence on the other end of the line before she heard Kara letting out a long sigh.

 

“I don’t want to talk to you if you’re just going to run off again like you’ve done every other time we’ve spoken.” Kara said eventually.

 

“I won’t. I promise I won’t.” Lena isn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself or Kara more.

 

“Okay, fine. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

 

“Okay. Sounds good.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Goodnight, Lena.”

 

“Goodnight, Kara.”

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> harold they're lesbians

 

“Okay, you know the drill kiddo. Hand on the circle.” Lena said as she lifted Leni out from her car seat the next day and planted a quick kiss on her head before setting her down in the parking lot.

 

Leni’s little hand immediately went to the gas cap on the side of Lena’s car, where she stood and waited patiently until Lena managed to locate the coat that Leni had opted against wearing on the drive to the grocery store.

 

It was a trick that Lena had picked up from Sam, something to keep Leni safe from any oncoming traffic while Lena quickly did whatever she had to do. Leni knew to stay put, and under no circumstances was she to move her hand from the circle until her mom gave her the all clear to do so.

 

“Leni did you take your shoe off?!” Lena asked as she picked up the stray sneaker from the floor of the car. Her eyes fell on a giggling Leni, one foot covered only by her patterned purple sock. “Why did you do that you little monkey?!”

 

Lena crouched down and pulled her up onto her knee so that she could strap her shoe back on as Leni continued to laugh. Once she was presentable again, shoes and all, Lena held a hand out for her and they headed into the grocery store.

 

“Mommy can I ride in the cart?” Leni exclaimed as they approached the shopping carts lined up along the outside of the store.

 

“Actually, I was thinking that mommy would ride in the cart this time and you could push me around.” she stated casually, watching from the corner of her eye as Leni tried to process the information.

 

Lena had to turn her head away to stop herself bursting out into a fit of laughter at the sheer look of confusion on Leni’s face as her little brain tried to work out how that scenario would be possible. It took Leni a moment before she startled Lena as she burst out crying and Lena rapidly turned to face her.

 

“I wanna go in the cart mommy!” she cried. “I don’t wanna push you!” her little foot stomped down against the sidewalk.

 

“Oh babe I only was teasing you! I’m sorry.” Lena crouched down to Leni’s level. “But you _know_  we don’t throw tantrums when we don’t get our own way.”

 

Leni continued to cry, stomping her feet dramatically on the ground as she screamed and Lena was growing more and more aware of the fact that they were now drawing attention to themselves from the other shoppers passing by.

 

“Elena Elizabeth Luthor do we need to go back home right now and put you in time out?” Lena said confidently, but quietly so as not to draw even more stares.

 

“No mommy!” Leni pouted as she eased up on the screaming. “I’m sorry.” she grumbled, fussing with Lena’s sleeve so that she could avoid eye contact.

 

“It’s alright babe, and I’m sorry for upsetting you.” Lena reached out and put a hand on forearm, rubbing up and down as she spoke. “I don’t like having to tell you off.”

 

Leni mumbled something unintelligible down to the ground before she threw herself at Lena, little arms wrapping around her neck as Lena stood up. She carried her over to the carts before setting Leni down in one of the seats and heading inside.

 

They got all of their usual items, vegetables, fruit, snacks for Leni’s lunchbox, some ice cream, cereal and a few other bits and bobs that they’d need. It wasn’t until Lena was reaching out to grab a box of Leni’s favorite juice boxes from the shelf when she heard a crunch behind her and turned around to see her daughter chowing down enthusiastically on a cookie.

 

She shot her an amused look, willing herself not to laugh at the sight.

 

“Leni.. Where’d you get that?” she asked as sternly as she could while she tried her best to repress a smile.

 

“She watched as Leni pointed over towards the bakery section of the store, mouth overflowing with pieces of her cookie as she tried to talk.

 

“You’re a cheeky little monkey, did you know that?!” Lena exclaimed, setting the juice boxes down in the cart before sneaking a quick pic of Leni and heading over to the bakery to explain what had happened and pay for the cookie.

 

“Okay, little monkey what do we say to the nice lady?” Lena asked as the woman looked over from behind the counter.

 

“I’m very sorry for stealing.” Leni sincerely told the woman, who flashed her a warm smile and immediately accepted her apology.  

 

They made it back to the car, exhausted, but thankfully without any more incidents and Lena mentally decided that she was going to nap alongside her daughter this afternoon. She deserved it.

 

* * *

 

When Kara stirred the next morning, she spent a few minutes playing the night before over in her head before she opened her eyes. She couldn’t seem to work out what Lena Luthor’s deal was. They’d talked, very briefly, but it had been __nice__. She’d enjoyed it, and she’s pretty sure Lena had too, in her own way.

 

She’s still not entirely sure why she feels so drawn to the woman, although a tiny part of her knows it’s because she relates so strongly to her.

 

When Kara’s parents had passed, she had shut everyone out. She’d never felt so alone, and it took her a long time to let anyone in. She was adjusting to the reality that she was suddenly alone in the world, trying to get used to a new ‘family’, when in reality they were complete strangers to her. It had been difficult, really difficult, but then she’d grown to love the Danvers in her own way and she’d learned how to let them in. It was the best decision she had ever made, and the terrified ten year old inside of her was drawn to that part of Lena. She knew Lena’s walls were a hundred feet tall, but she also knows how much of a massive relief it can be to let someone in.

 

She thought back to what she’d needed back then. She knew Lena’s situation wasn’t exactly the same as her own, but she thought it’d be helpful if she could at least relate a little to what the woman was feeling.

 

Bowling. Kara had loved bowling as a kid. She could channel her frustrations and bowl the ball as hard as she wanted, and the combination of the music and lights seemed to take her mind off of everything for a while. It was as though time didn’t pass inside the bowling alley, like she had stepped into some weird other dimension where things stood still for a while. Yes, bowling sounded nice.

 

She sent off a quick text to Lena before getting up and starting to get herself ready for the day.

 

 

* * *

 

Lena had been so preoccupied with Leni and getting everything done that morning that she hadn’t noticed the text message currently laying unopened in her notifications.

 

She’d just finished up packing away the last of the groceries and was in the process of making Leni’s lunch, a variety of sliced fruit, a yogurt and usually something sweet, but she’d already stolen the cookie earlier, so Lena decided to forgo the sugar part today.

 

Leni was happily singing along to herself as Lena set her lunch down in front of her and she eagerly tucked in.

 

“Let’s try to make sure at least some of it makes it into your mouth and not onto your shirt, huh?” Lena asked as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes and leaned down to press a kiss onto the top of Leni’s head.

 

It wasn’t until she’d settled down beside Leni at the table with her own lunch, a loaded kale salad and strawberry shake, that she decided to quickly check her phone and noticed the message from Kara.

 

_Kara: Bowling later today? Around 5? We can grab dinner afterwards to talk. Let me know. - K x_

 

Lena felt the familiar bubble of anxiety rising up in her chest as she read over the message. She was already regretting her decision to text Kara the night before, but she knew she couldn’t back out now. Buried beneath all of the panic and worry, there was a teeny tiny part of her hidden deep within than actually, maybe, could possibly, might want to actually see the woman. Maybe.

 

Lena waited until Leni had been put down for her afternoon nap before heading downstairs to call Sam.

 

“Hey, what’s up?” she answered on the first ring. “How’d everything go with the dance last night? I was gonna stop by later to see you guys.”

 

“Hey.. I, uh. I know it’s kinda short notice but I was wondering if you’d be able to watch Leni for a bit tonight while I-”

 

“Oh my God! Does hot mama Lena Luthor have a _date_ with hot not mama Kara Danvers?!” Sam exclaimed so loudly Lena had to jerk the phone away from her ear. “I knew it! It was the suit, wasn’t it? She couldn’t resist it?! Way to go dude!”

 

“Sam- I.. No!” she spluttered. “We’re going to _talk._ That’s all.”

 

“Mm Hmm.” Sam hummed, in a completely unconvinced tone. “Of course I’ll watch the kid, are we thinking a few hours or is it an overnight kinda thing?” Lena could hear the smirk plastered on Sam’s face through the phone.

 

“Sam! Stop!” she scoffed. “We’re going bowling and then to dinne-”

 

“So a date.”

 

“Sam no-”

 

“I’ll be home all day, just drop off the munchkin whenever. Enjoy your date.”

 

“Sam-” Lena warned.

 

“Love you! Bye!”

 

The line went dead before Lena could say anything else, and she rolled her eyes before pulling up Kara’s contact and typing out a reply to the text she’d sent earlier.

 

_Lena: Sounds good. Text me the address? See you at 5._

__

There. Short and sweet. She could do this. She was fine.

 

* * *

 

After dropping Leni off at Sam’s place, and having to endure a thorough teasing about her _definitely not date_ with Kara, Lena pulled up at the address she had been sent earlier. The large neon sign for the bowling alley was visible immediately and she quickly located an empty space in the parking lot before grabbing her bag and heading inside.

 

She spotted the back of the blonde head of hair immediately, but she hadn’t been prepared for the sight of sunny, pastel cardigan wearing, Kara Danvers in tight black ripped jeans and a red flannel shirt when she turned around.

 

“Lena! Hey!” she came rushing over when she spotted the dark haired woman enter the building.

 

Kara hovered awkwardly over her, seemingly about to go in for a hug but then changing her mind at the last moment and deciding on a smile instead.

 

“Hi, thanks for coming.” Lena smiled back.

 

“Thanks for calling.”

 

“Actually you called.” Lena corrected her with a tiny, barely visible smirk.

 

“Well thanks for texting, whatever. You know what I mean.” Kara waved a hand in front of them. “Shall we?” she gestured to the desk and they headed over to get their bowling shoes.

 

They switched their own shoes out for the ones provided and headed over to the seating area to put them on.

 

“So, did you have a good night last night?” Lena attempted to make conversation as she strapped her shoes on.

 

“I did.” Kara said before turning to face her. “Although there are a few parts I’d like to have avoided.”

 

“About that.. I’m really sorry Kar-”

 

“We can talk about it later.” Kara silenced her with a soft smile and a wave of her hand. “But for now, we’re hopefully gonna have a little fun.” she stood up and Lena followed her lead.

 

They each ordered a soda and headed over to the lane with their drinks in hand. Kara set hers down and immediately began to type on the little screen, earning an eye roll from Lena as the name popped up on the large screen above the alley.

 

_Mama Bear Luthor._

 

“Really Kara?” she scoffed as Kara shrugged casually, before Lena gently nudged her out of the way and began typing herself. Kara laughed as her own name popped up.

 

_Goldilocks Danvers._

__

“Hey, I’ll take it.” Kara laughed as she playfully whipped her hair.

 

“You know in the original version the bears eat Goldilocks, right?” Lena asked, her eyebrow shooting up in amusement as she brought her glass up to her lips

 

“Yeah well I’m sure you’d do a great job of eating me.” Kara laughed before realizing the implication of what she’d said, whirling around as Lena choked and spat her mouthful of soda all over the table.

 

“S-Sorry!” she spluttered while Lena coughed.

 

“It’s fine, I’m fine.” she cleared her throat and grabbed a napkin from the box on the table to clean up the juice that she’d spat out.

 

“You’re up first.” Kara pointed to the screen. “Are you alright?” she asked cautiously, desperately trying to hold back a laugh.

 

“I will be. I’m gonna kick your ass, Kara Danvers.” Lena smirked as she headed up to select a ball.

 

“We’ll see about that.”

 

As it turned out, Lena was a terrible bowler. She somehow managed to bowl every single ball into the gutter until Kara took pity on her and put the railings up to prevent that from happening. Kara, on the other hand, was surprisingly skilled. On the rare chances that she didn’t get a strike, she was sure to knock the remaining pins down on her next attempt. Lena was growing increasingly more frustrated, her competitive streak was out in full force but she just couldn’t seem to get the ball to do what she wanted.

 

“Lena.” Kara called out as Lena stepped up, ready to take her next shot. She turned around to see the woman approaching her. “You need to relax your shoulders if you wanna get anywhere. You’re tensing them up too much.”

 

“The word relax isn’t exactly in my vocabulary.” Lena said as she picked up the ball before walking over and bowling it towards the pins. She missed, again, and let out a dramatic groan of frustration as she cursed.

 

“God damn it!” she stormed over to the rack and waited for her ball to emerge while Kara laughed quietly behind her.

 

“Can I help you?” Kara asked as Lena slotted her fingers into the ball and picked it up before heading over to the lane.

 

“It’s not like I’ve got anything to lose, is it?” Lena asked before Kara stepped up behind her.

 

“Okay, take a deep breath.” Kara instructed. “Is it aright if I touch your arm?” she asked cautiously, desperately trying to avoid spooking Lena.

 

“I- Yes.” Lena took a breath, her entire body tensing up at the feeling of Kara’s warm hand gripping her arm firmly.

 

“Okay, don’t let the ball go just yet, I’m going to show you how you should do it first.” her breath tickled Lena’s neck and she fidgeted a little. This was definitely not relaxing.

 

Kara’s hand slid down the length of Lena’s arm before settling at her wrist gently guiding it backwards while her other arm snaked around Lena’s waist, intending to adjust her stance, before a loud thud snapped them out of it and Lena jumped away to avoid the ball that she’d just dropped.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Kara apologized as she bent down to grab the ball before it rolled away.

 

“No, no it’s fine.” Lena assured her. “I guess I’m just not cut out for bowling.” she forced a laugh, desperately trying to shake off the feeling of Kara’s warm hand ghosting down her arm and snaking so firmly around her waist. 

 

Once she had gathered her bearings, Lena took a breath and stepped up for her turn. Much to both of their surprise, the ball headed straight for middle pin, in turn knocking them all down as the word ‘STRIKE’ flashed across the screen above their lane and Lena squealed excitedly as Kara rushed over to give her a high five.

 

“Way to go Lena!” she called out before Lena burst out in a series of what Kara guessed were supposed to be dance moves, and Kara couldn’t contain her laughter.

 

It was beyond refreshing to see this side of the woman who completely closed herself off to most of the world. To see her carefree and dancing around in the middle of a cheesy, dimly lit neon bowling alley while some random pop song blasted through the speakers and, oh dear god is she doing the running man?

 

Kara laughed harder, completely taken aback, as Lena shuffled her way over, bragging loudly in the tune of the song currently playing about how she’d gotten a strike. Kara could’ve easily pointed out that Lena had still lost the game by a significant amount of points, but she was enjoying herself too much to burst Lena’s bubble.

 

“Come on, dork. Dinner?” Kara asked as Lena eventually eased up on the dancing and laughed alongside Kara.

 

“Dinner.” she confirmed as they headed towards the desk to retrieve their shoes.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the delay I've been super busy this week
> 
> also, a few of you have asked if Kara has powers in this and I forgot to add the tag, but no she doesn't :)

>  

 

“There’s a pizza place just around the corner if you’re into that sort of thing?” Kara asked Lena as they handed the bowling shoes back over to the girl behind the counter. They watched as she sprayed some disinfectant into each of the shoes before disappearing behind a row of cubby holes and returning a few moments later with their sneakers. She thanked them for their custom as they quickly slipped back into their own shoes and Kara continued to fill Lena in about the pizza place.

 

“Oh, is there a salad bar?!” Lena asked excitedly, making her way towards the exit before noticing Kara had stopped abruptly in her tracks.

 

“Lena it’s a __pizza__ place, and you’re asking about __salad__?!” she exclaimed with a disgusted look plastered on her face. “Who _are_ you?!”

 

“What?! I like sal-” Lena began, eyebrows furrowed defensively before her ringtone cut her off and she quickly began rummaging around in her bag in search of her phone. She knew Sam would only be calling her if it was an emergency, and she desperately prayed that everything was okay with Leni before she finally located her phone and relief washed over her upon seeing Jess’ name on the screen. “I’m really sorry, it’s work, I need to take this.” she informed Kara as she smiled apologetically before stepping off to the side and sliding the green call answer button across the screen.

 

“Jess, hey, is everything all right?”

 

“Hi I’m so sorry to bother you at the weekend, but there’s been an incident. Nothing too serious from what I’ve been told, just something with the alarms but they need you to quickly pop by the office.” Jess informed her.

 

Lena listened intently down the phone although her eyes were drawn across the room to look at Kara, who flashed her a soft smile and a little wave. For the first time since she can remember, she didn’t _want_ to leave, had the phone call come any other time she would’ve welcomed it enthusiastically but this time she grudged the thought of it.

 

“Okay, yeah sure, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” she regrettably told Jess, who apologized once more before she hung up and Lena headed back over to where Kara was standing. “I’m really sorry but there’s a situation at work that needs my attention.” she told her reluctantly.

 

“Oh, yeah no that’s totally fine. Don’t worry about it.” Kara smiled as she adjusted the frame of her glasses, pushing them further up her face. If Lena noticed the look of sheer disappointment in her eyes, she didn’t say anything. “I had a lot of fun.”

 

“W-would.. Do you want to come with me?” Lena blurted out before her brain had a chance to catch up. _Why had she asked that?_  “They said I’m only needed for a few minutes, we could go together and catch dinner afterwards? We can take my car?”

 

She regretted it immediately, and her brain desperately tried to come up with ways she could backtrack what she’d just said, but before she could open her mouth, Kara spoke.

 

“Oh, yeah of course!” the blonde smiled happily. “Lead the way.” She gestured to the exit.

 

They headed out into the large parking lot where Lena fumbled around in her purse, quickly trying to locate her keys before the paparazzi no doubt lurking around the area managed to locate her. She’d parked only a few rows down from the entry to the building and they reached her car, thankfully without drawing any attention to themselves.

 

“Ah ha!” the keys jingled as Lena pulled them out of her purse and pressed down on the button to unlock the car. It wasn’t until they climbed inside that Lena realized she hadn’t cleared out the interior of the car for an embarrassingly long time. Various items of clothing, mainly Leni’s coats and a few pairs of colorful shoes were strewn across the back seat, accompanied by the occasional stuffed animal and hair bow. “Sorry about the mess.” Lena gestured to the back of the car as Kara climbed into the passengers seat. “Leni tends to enjoy making as much mess as humanly possible.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Kara laughed it off.

 

* * *

 

They pulled up outside of L-Corp after a quick drive over, thankfully the traffic hadn’t been too bad and Lena found that the company of someone over the age of three in the car with her was actually a welcomed change. Kara seemed almost happier than usual as she hopped out and closed the door behind her, waiting for Lena to come around and join her on the sidewalk before they began heading towards the building together.

 

They faced down in an attempt to fight off the chilled almost-winter breeze currently whipping at the exposed skin of their faces. Lena buried her hands deep inside the pockets of her coat as they rushed inside and the relief from the cold was immediate. The warm air enveloped them as Lena greeted the night staff on her way in. She explained to Kara how the shifts worked, and that employees in the labs who wished to work night shift were more than welcome to. She herself knew how much easier it was to get things done in the evenings, the calm silence made it significantly easier to focus compared to the usual hustle and bustle of the day time.

 

Kara took everything in, in awe, as they walked, stumbling a little as her head turned to face in almost every direction to take in as much as she could while she admired the luxury interior of the building. It was all crisp whites and stark blacks, the windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling and it all seemed very intimidating, beautiful, but intimidating nonetheless.

 

“Wow Lena, this is.. __incredible.”__ She complimented as they entered the elevator. “Like, really, really amazing.”

 

“Thank you.” Lena smiled politely. She had grown so accustomed to the building, it had all but become a second home to her in the years before she’d given birth to Leni, so much so that she rarely took the time to actually admire it. Although she had to admit, it was rather impressive. She reached over and hit the button for the top floor of the building where her office was located and they rode up in silence as Kara took in the sights from the small window that offered a fantastic view of the city, especially from this high up.

 

The elevator doors opened with a ding shortly afterwards and they emerged on the top floor of L-Corp. Lena immediately guided Kara to her office, smiling at the way she mumbled quietly to herself about how amazing everything was, where one of the members of L-Corp’s security team were waiting for her.

 

“Miss Luthor, hi, I’m terribly sorry to bother you at this hour on a weekend.” the noticeably older man turned to her with a sympathetic smile.

 

“Not at all, Frank, it’s fine don’t worry about it. What seems to be the issue?”

 

“The alarms were triggered earlier in the evening, nothing seems to be out of place and there’s absolutely nothing out of the ordinary but protocol states that we had to put the building on lockdown, and we’re required to have you sign off on it immediately so that we have a record of you being notified.”

 

“Yes that’s totally fine.” She told Frank before turning to Kara and gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch. “This won’t take longer than a few minutes, make yourself at home. I’m really sorry about this.”

 

“Oh no please you don’t have to apologize. I totally understand.” Kara smiled as Lena rounded the large elegant white desk and took a seat as the man, Frank Lena had called him, started handing off paperwork for her to sign.  

 

Lena was more than familiar with the actions that had to be taken in almost every possible situation regarding her company and the safety of both herself and her employees. She got through the sheets of paper quickly and made a move to put the cap back on her pen before she was stopped by Frank’s voice.

 

“Oh wait sorry there’s just one more-..” he shuffled around the pieces of paper on the desk. “Shoot! I must have given it to Jess by accident, please excuse me for a second. I’m so sorry about all of this Miss Luthor.” he smiled apologetically once more before rushing out of the room.

 

“Frank is amazing at his job, he’s worked with the company for years but he tends to get flustered in situations like this when he’s dealing with paperwork and such.” She turned to Kara and breathed a laugh.

 

Lena watched intently as Kara opened her mouth to reply, but her words were drowned out as an excruciatingly loud siren began sounding throughout the building and they jumped up immediately, hands clamped firmly over their ears as they each rushed towards the door. Lena tugged on the handle, but her suspicions were confirmed when the door didn’t open.

 

“We’re on lockdown again!” she called over the relentless wailing of the alarm. “There must be a fault in the system!”

 

“What?!” she saw Kara mouth, still unable to hear her.

  
”I said, there must be a fault in the syste-… m” Lena lowered her voice as the wailing thankfully, mercifully stopped. “The doors won’t open, the alarms are set up so that my office is safe from any possible threats or attacks, we have to wait until the building is declared safe again.” she informed Kara as they moved away from the doors, ears still ringing from the unwelcome intrusion.

 

Lena felt the familiar bubble of anxiety forming in her chest as the reality of the situation set in and she desperately willed herself to stay calm. Everything is going to be alright, she told herself as she took a few deep, calming breaths. She _really_  didn’t feel like having a full fledged panic attack in a locked room with Kara Danvers as her audience.

 

“Hey, are you alright?” Kara asked softly, a look of concern etched on her face as she noticed the sudden switch in Lena.

 

“Yeah, yeah I’m alright.” Lena waved her off. “Just a little anxious about being stuck in here, it’ll pass in a moment.” she let out a slow exhale, looking away as she felt Kara’s eyes on her. “I should text Sam, I have to let her know I might be a little late to pick Leni up.”

 

“Come on, sit down.” Kara spoke gently, taking a seat on the couch and patting the empty space beside her once.

 

Lena hesitated for a moment, quickly typing up and then hitting send on the text to Sam before locking her phone and making her way over to where Kara was seated. She told Sam not to tell Leni that she might home late, she knew she would try to stay awake until Lena got back if that were the case, and she really didn’t want to deal with a cranky three year old in the morning.

 

Lena sat down on the couch, tucking one of her legs beneath her as she settled down next to Kara and angled her body so that she was facing her ever so slightly.

 

“When I have panic attacks it sometimes takes the edge off when I talk to someone.” Kara told her with a soft smile. “It doesn’t have to be anything specific, just talking..” she trailed off.

 

“You have panic attacks?” she questioned curiously.

 

“Oh yeah, they don’t come as often now, but it happened a lot when I was younger.”

 

Lena studied her face carefully, she couldn’t quite seem to figure Kara Danvers out, but oddly enough, she found that she actually liked that about her. Kara wasn’t all she appeared to be on the surface, and that intrigued her. It was the side of the woman that she’d seen the previous night at the dance that made Lena feel compelled to talk to her again.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Lena said sincerely.

 

“You remind me a lot of my self, you know.” Kara told her.

 

“How so?” Lena’s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly as she contemplated what Kara had said.

 

“I lost my family, too. I mean, sure, I was a lot younger than you when it happened, and I know the circumstances were really different, but the pain is still the same. When you lose your family, it feels as though you don’t fit in anywhere anymore. It’s like.. everything you’ve ever known, your little corner of the world where you know you belong, is suddenly torn away and you’re left alone. It took me a really, really long time to recover from that and learn how to let people in again and, forgive me if this is too forward, but I think that’s something you’re still struggling with.”

 

Lena was quiet for a long moment as she allowed Kara’s words to sink in. The silence was heavy and just before she could reply to what Kara had said, the telephone on her desk began to ring and she promptly got up to answer it, secretly thankful for the interruption.  

 

“Hello, this is Lena Luthor speaking.” she spoke down the line in her best, most professional voice. “Uh huh.. yes.. yes.. okay.. alright.. thank you, you too, goodbye.” she set the phone down and let out a loud breath as she turned to Kara. “They’re saying it’s going to be another few hours at the very least, they had to call in another team to help undo the lockdown and they can’t get us out until then.”

 

Lena felt the panic begin to bubble up again as she tried to fight off the feeling of the walls closing in on her, the room was silent for a few moments before a loud growl sounded throughout the room and Kara blushed furiously as her hand shot up to her stomach.

 

“Sorry.” Kara laughed. “I thought we’d be at dinner by now.”

 

“Oh! Hold on.” Lena headed over and unlocked one of the drawers over at the other side of her office and rummaged around for a few moments before coming up with an armful of stuff. She walked back over and deposited it down onto the couch.

 

She kept a stash of supplies, her ‘Emergency Leni Kit’, in her office just in case Leni ever gets caught up at work with her. It’s saved her on multiple occasions that she’s been unable to find a babysitter and has a very important conference call that she absolutely could not afford to miss. The stash consisted of a variety of snacks, including but not limited to animal crackers, dried fruit, candy, chips and a few different flavored juice boxes. She wasn’t keen on feeding Leni unhealthy foods but in those situations, she found that it kept her significantly more entertained and allowed Lena to deal with her business promptly. She also had a portable DVD player and a large fluffy blanket that matched Leni’s one at home, should she need to take a nap in the office.

 

“Oh my god you’re a life saver!” Kara exclaimed as she hungrily eyed all of the snacks in front of her, graciously accepting a bag of chips from Lena before tearing them open and digging in.

 

Lena laughed at Kara’s enthusiasm, she’d never seen anyone so excited over a bag of chips in her entire life. They eagerly worked their way through the snacks as the sun steadily set, casting a warm orange glow throughout the office as the sun slowly slipped beyond the horizon before completely disappearing and enveloping them in a cool sea of darkness. The building’s power supply had been cut in an attempt to reverse the locks on the doors, but it had been unsuccessful and they were left without power as the cool night air was slowly creeping it’s way into the dark office.

 

“You wanna watch a movie?” Kara gestured to the little portable DVD playing sitting between them on the couch, it was already approaching midnight and, judging by the regular updates she was receiving from the security teams trying to free them, they weren’t going anywhere any time soon. “It might help pass the time.”

 

“Oh yeah sure.” Lena smiled as she picked it up and flipped open the screen. “Although, I’m pretty sure Leni’s The Little Mermaid DVD is the only one I have.”

 

“Ohhh great I _love_ that movie!” Kara exclaimed excitedly, shuffling around on the couch to get more comfortable as Lena stared in amusement at the woman’s genuine enthusiasm.

 

Lena expertly clicked her way through the different menus on the screen, well practiced from doing it for Leni so many times, before hitting play and setting the DVD player down on the table in front of them. They each subconsciously shuffled closer to the middle of the couch to get a better view of the little screen and it took a few moments for Lena to realize that almost the entire right side of her body was pressed up against Kara, and even more shocking to her was that she didn’t actually seem to mind. The office was chilly, and Kara’s body was warm. It made sense.

 

It wasn’t until a few minutes into the movie that Kara realized the woman pressed against her was not so subtly shivering and she silently reached over for the large fluffy blanket draped across the back of the couch and pulled it down over their laps.

 

“Oh.” Lena let out quietly in surprise at the gesture. “Thank you.”

 

“Anytime.” Kara smiled.

 

Lena tucked her arms under the blanket and pulled it up until only her head was peeking out. She was beyond grateful for the comfort and warmth it provided, and she felt the emotional exhaustion of the day slowly creeping up on her as she settled. She missed Leni, she knew she was more than okay with Sam, but Lena really wished she’d been able to tuck her in, give her a kiss and tell her that she loved her before she’d gone to sleep.

 

* * *

 

They were a little under halfway through the movie when Kara felt pressure on her shoulder and turned her head a little to see Lena Luthor passed out, her head resting against Kara’s shoulder as she began to snore lightly, and Kara honest to god _melted _.__ She couldn’t stop herself from staring as she took in the details of Lena’s face. It was easy to forget just how young Lena was considering everything she was currently juggling in her life. Where her face was usually all hard lines and strictly business, it was now soft and relaxed, and she actually looked her age.

 

Kara eventually tore her gaze away when she found herself fixated on the little scar just above Lena’s right eye and she turned her attention back to the movie, thoroughly feeling like the biggest creep in the world.

 

* * *

 

When the lockdown was eventually reversed just a little before 4am, Frank headed up to the office to let his boss know the good news and tell her that she was finally free to head home.

 

When he opened the doors to the office he was met with the sight of the two women, both fast asleep beneath a large blanket, their heads resting together as they slept.

 

_Cute._

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't checked over this so any and all mistakes are mine pls forgive me

 

 

 “Miss Luthor?… Miss Luthor?”

 

Lena woke with a start upon hearing her name, even in her daze she knew ‘Miss Luthor’ was how people referred to her in a business setting, not anywhere that she should be sleeping. She jerked up so abruptly that she hadn’t realized she’d clunked heads with Kara until they were both gripping their heads and groaning in pain.

 

“Sorry.” she rushed out, hands hovering awkwardly around Kara’s head. “Are you okay?”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Kara brushed her off with a light laugh. “Surprisingly not the worst way I’ve been woken up.”

 

In her hurry to make sure Kara was alright, Lena had almost forgotten the reason they’d gotten hurt in the first place. After a final scan over Kara’s face she turned her attention to the owner of the voice that had woken her.

 

“Frank?”

 

“Miss Luthor, hi, sorry about that.” he smiled apologetically. “The lockdown has been reversed and no one was answering the phone so I came up here to tell you. You’re free to go now, given the hour, we’ll deal with the rest of the paperwork and such on Monday.”

 

Lena felt a wave of relief wash over her upon hearing the news, but it was short lived as a rush of panic overcame her once again as she realized how much time had passed.

 

“Oh crap!” she called out, desperately fumbling around in search of her phone. She eventually located it down the side of the couch and unlocked it to a number of text messages from Sam that she had missed.

 

_7:40pm: quick update: everything is fine here, Leni said to tell you she loves you._

_9:46pm: little babe is sound asleep, don’t worry about rushing back. hope everything is alright._

_11:29pm: I don’t know how long you’re gonna be but I’m going to bed, just call when you’re coming back. Love you x_

 

Her shoulders sank in relief and she let out a breath as her eyes roamed over the attached photo that Sam had sent of Leni snuggled up, fast asleep in bed. They climbed to their feet, but not before Kara made sure that Lena was alright, and Lena gave her slightly aching muscles a quick stretch before folding up the blanket that they’d been sleeping under whilst Kara assisted in tidying the mess of wrappers and such that they’d left from earlier.

 

Ten minutes later, they were back in Lena’s car and making their way to the parking lot where they had left Kara’s car the previous evening. The streets were eerily calm at this hour of the morning. The usual hustle and bustle of life hadn’t begun yet, the sun remained safely tucked away out of sight as the moon shone down and it felt almost surreal. If someone had told Lena a few months ago that she would be in this situation she would’ve laughed right in their face, and yet, here she was. Driving down a quiet stretch of road, a few hours before dawn, with Kara Danvers in the passengers seat after spending the night with her at her office.

 

They pulled into the parking lot shortly afterwards and Kara’s car was one of the only cars remaining. There was a 24 hour diner across the street that appeared to share parking with the bowling alley and Lena ventured a guess that the cars must belong to the employees of the diner.

 

Lena eyed the diner across the street as she got caught up in her thoughts. She was closer to Sam’s house than her own, and she knew Leni would be waking up in an hour or two, it would take her a half an hour to get home anyway so she knew she wouldn’t have time to sleep before having to leave again to pick Leni up. She decided she’d go get a coffee, she desperately needed one, and then she’d drive to Sam’s house to be there when her baby wakes up.

 

“You don’t have to park, you can just drop me here.” Kara said as Lena began reversing into one of the many available spaces in the parking lot.

 

“Actually I’m gonna run across the street and grab a coffee, there’s no point in me driving all the way home right now before I pick Leni up, it’ll help kill some time.” she told Kara as the car pulled to a stop and the engine stilled as Lena turned and removed the keys from the ignition.

 

“Oh- Uh.. Do you mind if I join you? I could really use a caffeine boost right about now.” Kara laughed as she fidgeted with her glasses.

 

“Not at all.” Lena smiled. “I guess it’s the least I could do after locking you up in my office all night.”

 

“Mr Grey will see you now.” Kara said in a mockingly posh voice and Lena snorted.

 

It struck her in that moment just how effortless this all was. She’d slept for barely four hours, crammed up on a sofa in her office, and yet instead of being her usual cranky, easily irritable self when deprived of her eight hours of sleep, she was actually.. _happy?_

 

The warmth of the car was immediately missed the moment they hopped out and the cold air of the early morning hit them. Lena could see the puffs of her breath in front of her, illuminated by the warm orange glow of the streetlights as they rushed across the dark parking lot and into the welcomed warmth of the diner. They slid into a booth by the window, facing one another, and Lena took a moment to look around, it was much like the typical cheesy diners that she’d take Leni to on occasion, the black and white checkered tile of the floor allowed for the obnoxiously loud red of the stuffed leather seats to stand out beyond belief.

 

“Hi, what can I get for you ladies?” an overly perky, elderly blonde woman appeared before them with a notebook in hand and pencil at the ready as she smiled down at them.

 

“I’ll take a coffee, please.” Lena smiled back as she turned to face Kara.

 

“Same for me.. Oh, and a two large waffles please.” Kara told the waitress, completely ignoring Lena’s protests. She turned to her once the waitress had completed their order and left the table. “Lena, you _have_ to try the waffles. It’s a must.” Kara said sternly.

 

“Oh, have you been here before?” she asked as she tried to suppress a yawn.

 

“Well.. no, but they’re _waffles_ Lena! Waffles!”

 

“Whatever you say.” Lena rolled her eyes playfully.

 

The sight of the waitress returning with their large mugs of steaming hot coffee almost had Lena moaning. She clutched the comfortingly warm mug between her hands the moment it was set down on the table in front of her, slowly bringing it up to her lips before taking a generous gulp and completely ignoring the way it burned ever so slightly on the way down, as Kara watched in amusement.

 

If Lena was happy about the coffee, it was nothing compared to Kara when the waffles arrived. Her entire face lit up as she flashed a thousand megawatt smile in the direction of the waitress skillfully carrying the ridiculously large waffles in each of her hands before setting them down on the table. Lena had opted to top hers with strawberries and cream, whilst Kara happily began drowning hers with thick golden syrup.

 

“These do smell delicious.” Lena admitted as she cut into her waffle.

 

“I told you.” Kara muttered back over a mouthful of food. “They taste even better.”

 

They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally trading looks of approval about their waffles, watching the sky slowly fade from midnight black to a warm shade of amber as the sun began to steadily rise over the little diner.

 

“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?” Lena asked once they’d finished up eating and began working on their second cup of coffee.

 

“Actually, yes.” Kara smiled excitedly, and Lena couldn’t tell whether or not she was hyped up on sugar or genuinely just this excitable, regardless of the lack of sleep. “My sister is coming to stay for a few nights, I’m picking her up from the train station in a few hours.”

 

“Oh, nice! Is this the same one you were with when we saw you guys at the restaurant?”

 

“Yes! The same one, she works for the FBI and they’re dealing with some big case back in my hometown, and with me making the move up here a few months ago I don’t see her as often as I’d like to, so it’s super fun when she comes to visit.” Kara continued to smile happily.

 

“Oh wow that’s impressive.” Lena complimented sincerely, although she had to fight off the memories of the last time she’d encountered the FBI after everything with Lex and her mother. “I’m sure you guys will have a blast, she seemed lovely.”

 

“Yeah, she’s the best. I owe a lot of who I am today to her.”

 

They fell silent for a moment as Lena smiled warmly at her and Kara stared right back, mirroring her smile until the waitress made her way back over and broke the silence.

 

“Hey guys, can I get you anything else?” she asked happily.

 

“No thank you, just the check please. I should actually be getting going.” she turned to Kara. “I have a baby girl waiting for her mama.”

 

“Yeah no problem, I should be heading too. I have to get my place ready for Alex coming.” Kara told her as she fished around in her purse before pulling out a twenty dollar bill.

 

“Oh, no, please. It’s on me.” Lena stopped her before she could hand the cash over, paying the waitress herself before Kara had the chance. “It’s the least I could do.”

 

“Thank you.” Kara smiled warmly. “Next time it’s on me.”

 

After gathering their things, they each slid out of the booth and put their coats on before emerging back out into the cold. The sun was fully up by now and it thankfully wasn’t as chilly as it had been earlier as they headed back across the parking lot to where their cars were parked side by side.

 

Once they arrived, Kara turned her back to her car door and gently rested her body against it as she turned to face Lena.

 

“Thank you.. Uh.. for everything. I had a really nice time, given the circumstances.” Lena thanked her sincerely. It was rare for her to have a good time with someone outwith her comfort zone, and she felt the need to let Kara know.

 

“It was my pleasure, honestly. Thank you for everything, too.” Kara replied with a smile that took up so much of her face it was as though she were glowing. “If.. Uh.. W-Would you mind if I call you and we could.. You know, maybe get dinner or something again soon?”

 

A curious smile tugged at Lena’s mouth and then she’s not quite sure what happened next, or why it happened. One moment she was leaning against the side of her car, chatting contently to Kara, and the next, she had rushed forward and pressed her lips against the woman standing in front of her. Kara’s body completely froze for a split second before her hands found their way to Lena’s face and cupped it gently as she happily returned the kiss, although she barely had a moment to get into it before Lena pulled away with a horrified look plastered on her face.

 

“I-.. I-.. I’m sorry.” she spluttered out, looking completely disgusted with herself, as though Kara thought she was some pervert from the street that had trouble controlling herself.

 

“Lena..” Kara took a step forward and reached out for her, but fell short as Lena backed away further.

 

“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Lena rushed out in her panic, not giving Kara the opportunity to say anything else before she rounded the car and climbed in. She barely registered anything as she pulled out of the parking lot, Kara growing visibly smaller in the rear view mirror as she drove further away.

 

Lena isn’t even sure how she got to Sam’s house, she had completely zoned out and driven on pure muscle memory. Her brain was buzzing a thousand miles an hour and she felt slightly nauseous and beyond overwhelmed as she pulled up into the driveway. Thankfully, Sam had left the spare key beneath the plant pot around the back of the house and Lena quickly located it and unlocked the door as quietly as she could before slipping inside. She stepped out of her shoes and padded down the hall and then up the stairs, heading for the guest room where she assumed Leni would be sleeping.

 

The door to the room was slightly ajar and Lena poked her head in to check if Leni was in there, she spotted her immediately, still fast asleep, before she slipped in herself. She removed her coat and pulled back the covers before climbing in beside her.

 

Leni automatically shifted towards her and snuggled into her chest as Lena breathed her in. She felt some of her anxiety dissipate as she held her baby, and tried to calm her racing heart. She couldn’t believe she’d done that. _Why_ had she done that? She had kissed Kara. She had actually _kissed_ her.

 

She’d blame it on the lack of sleep when she was talking to Sam about it, but as she lay there she felt the tiredness begin to creep up on her and she slowly drifted off to sleep with Leni for another hour.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, you alright?” Sam asked her over breakfast once Ruby had taken Leni into the living room to watch some television with her. “You’ve been kinda quiet.”

 

“I-.. I don’t know.” Lena let out a sigh as she massaged her temples with her fingertips in an attempt to ease the headache she could feel brewing there.

 

“Does this have anything to do with Kara?” Sam asked without any hint of teasing in her tone. “Did you guys have an argument last night or something?”

 

“No, I spent the night with her.” Lena muttered.

 

“WHA-”

 

“No! No! Not like that! She was at the office with me when we got locked in.” Lena hurriedly explained upon realizing how it had sounded. “We fell asleep for a while but that was it.” she clarified.

 

“So.. What happened? Why are you so down?” Sam asked as she worriedly scanned over Lena’s face.

 

Lena couldn’t bring herself to think about it, it was all too much, too overwhelming. The guilt was repeatedly chewing her up and spitting her out and she let out a whimper before she suddenly burst into tears.

 

“Oh, Lena. Come here.” Sam hurriedly rushed over to where Lena was sitting and pulled her in for a hug.

 

“I.. I kissed her.” Lena cried into Sam’s shoulder. “We got breakfast together and then I kissed her, and I don’t know why I did it, and then I panicked and I ran, like I always fucking do and I _hate_ myself for it. God, I’m so sorry, Sam. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Lena wiped at her eyes as Sam continued to hold her. “and I’m so sorry that you wound up watching Leni last night, I know you have a life too and you’re not just my babysitter. I just- God, I’m a mess and I’m so sorry.”

 

“Hey, hey, listen to me.” Sam pulled Lena’s face away from her shoulder to make sure she was looking at her when she spoke. “Don’t ever apologize for that, you know how much I adore you and that kid. You’ve done so much for me and you know how much I love watching her. That’s what family is for, we help each other out when we need it.” Sam wiped Lena’s tears away with the pads of her thumbs before placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

 

Once she’d settled down a little, Sam pulled away and offered her a glass of fresh water before sitting down in the seat next to her. Lena gratefully accepted it as she sipped lightly at the glass.

 

“You wanna know what I think?” Sam asked as Lena, face red and puffy from crying, looked up at her and nodded as she continued to sip on the water. “I think you like her, and I think that terrifies you beyond belief. You’re terrified to let people in, and honestly I don’t blame you for that in the slightest, but I think that’s why you’re so upset right now. I don’t think you’ve ever had feelings like this and it’s not something you know how to handle, so you keep running. But Lena, I really, truly believe that you can do this, only if you want to of course, but you know I’ll be by your side every step of the way regardless.”

 

“Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?” Lena asked once Sam had finished talking. It was all a little much for her and she needed a little time alone to process everything.

 

“Of course, you know where everything is.” Sam smiled as she gestured upstairs. She was more than familiar with Lena’s coping strategies and knew that she needed a little space right now, so she let her go with another quick hug and a reminder that she loved her.

 

Once Lena had gone upstairs and stripped off, she quickly climbed into the shower and settled beneath the comforting warmth of the hot water as it streamed down onto her. She sank down to the floor, ignoring the way the water completely soaked her hair as she pulled her knees up to her chest and began to cry once again.

 

She’s still not entirely sure why she was crying, but the more she tried to process Sam’s words, the more the tears seemed to keep coming and coming and coming. She knew in the back of her mind that the lack of sleep was partly responsible for her inability to control her emotions, but even with that knowledge, she still beat herself up for it. _Why_ couldn’t she get herself together? _Why_ was she acting like this?

 

She couldn’t seem to come up with any answers, so Lena sat there, and cried.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the middle of the night and i had this stuck in my head, i should've probably waited until morning to make sure it even makes sense but i felt bad about the last chapter, so pls enjoy what my brain produced at 3am

 

 

They spent the remainder of the afternoon hanging out at Sam’s house. Lena, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of Sam’s overly long sweats that she had to roll up at the bottom and an old well worn NCU sweatshirt, was snuggled up contently on the couch with Leni whilst they watched a few different animated Disney movies. Leni fell asleep less than halfway through the first one and Lena followed closely behind her. If Sam snapped a few pics of the sheer adorableness that was the two of them on Lena’s phone for her to find later, she certainly wasn’t aware of it in her current state of unconsciousness.

 

Lena felt significantly better when she woke up a little over an hour later. Turns out, she had really needed the nap and she felt a lot less overwhelmed about everything after sleeping off some of the exhaustion. According to Sam, Leni had woken a little before her and was now happily playing with a stack of rainbow colored blocks on the large fuzzy rug in the center of the living area as Lena watched from her spot on the couch.

 

“Look mommy!” she called out excitedly as she showed off her newest creation. “I made our house!”

 

“Oh wow babe! That’s awesome!” Lena exclaimed as she rolled off the couch and crawled over to where Leni was. She settled comfortably with her legs crossed before Leni took it upon herself to climb into Lena’s lap and continue her creating from there.

 

Lena watched as she put all of her concentration into stacking the blocks up, her little tongue dipping out ever so slightly in concentration and Lena stifled a laugh. She lived for moments like these. Not the big life altering moments, but the little ones that they shared, just the two of them. Being Leni’s mom, having the honor of watching her grow into this little tiny human, was truly the best thing that had ever happened to her. It was moments like this that made her laugh about how ridiculously worried she was in the beginning.

 

_

   Lena hadn’t been able to fully settle since the moment those two little pink lines had shown up on the test a little under a week ago. Two lines, that’s all they were. Two teeny little lines, and yet her entire world had suddenly been altered forever. Those two little lines were her future staring up at her. It felt a little weird, in the sense that she was doing this part alone. In the movies she always watched the mother anxiously await the test results with the father of the baby, or the woman’s best friend by her side. But Lena didn’t have either of those things, so she had anxiously awaited the results alone in the en suite bathroom of her brand new house on the edge of the city.

 

Despite the overwhelming wave of joy that she’d been riding for just under a week, Lena still made sure to remind herself that the tests weren’t always accurate, regardless of the fact that she’d taken at least twelve and each of them had displayed the same result. Pregnant.

 

She sat in the waiting room of the OB GYN’s office anxiously toying with her fingers. She’d managed to sneak away from work early to make it to the appointment on time and, as she sat and looked around in the empty waiting area, she assumed that she must be the last patient of the day.

 

Lena had a tendency to over think everything and her anxiety was through the roof as she awaited her name being called. She knew it was silly, to already have grown __this__  attached to the concept of having a tiny little human being growing inside of her. She knew, even if it turned out that she was in fact pregnant, that so many other things could still go wrong.

 

“Miss Luthor?” a warm voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to view a friendly looking red haired woman smiling comfortingly at her as she stood up.

 

“Yes, that’s me.” Lena tried to force a smile, but it appeared as more of a pained expression than a smile.

 

“I’m Dr. Montgomery, there’s no need to be nervous.” The woman kindly assured her as she led her back down a hallway and into her office. “I know how daunting this can be but I assure you, we’re here to guide you through every step of the way. We’ll take care of you.”

 

After being instructed, Lena climbed up onto the bed in the center of the room and sat down, facing the woman as she spoke. She asked Lena a variety of different, but equally personal questions about topics that Lena would rather never discuss with anyone. Some questions were easier to answer than others, and Lena couldn’t help but feel a little down when the conversation moved to the topic of genetics. She didn’t know very much about her own genetics, only a little about her father and that was it. Nothing about her mother or any further back than her, and she didn’t know anything about the sperm donor past what was provided on the information sheet she’d been given. The doctor didn’t seem overly phased by the information that Lena had given her, so she decided to try and not worry too much about it.

 

After a quick blood sample was taken and Dr. Montgomery made absolutely sure to answer any and all of Lena’s questions with as thorough of an answer as she possibly could, Lena was instructed to lie back on the bed as the other woman rolled her chair over to the light switch and flicked them all off.

 

Lena lifted her shirt up just enough to expose her stomach as Dr Montgomery returned with a bottle in her hand.

 

“Okay, this might be a little cold. I’m sorry.” she warned Lena before squirting some of the blue tinged gel onto her stomach, laughing a little as Lena let out a tiny squeak of surprise. Her head was turned awkwardly to the side as she lay back and strained to face the woman currently talking her through what was going to happen. “I’m going to run this over your stomach.” she held up the little probe. “It’s completely painless, it just allows us to get an image of what’s going on inside, okay?”

 

Lena nodded before feeling the probe slide easily through the gel as it explored the expanse of her stomach. She could see the doctor’s eyes intently fixed on the screen, although Lena couldn’t make out anything from the splotches of gray that she saw.

 

“Congratulations, Miss Luthor.” the woman turned to her with a large grin. “Looks like you’re definitely going to be a mom, you’re about nine weeks along.”

 

Lena let out a gasp of surprise as her hand came down to cover her mouth, she had known this information anyway, but hearing it confirmed was beyond anything she could’ve imagined and she found herself unable to form any words. She was feeling so many different, yet equally overwhelming emotions that she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. There was actually a tiny little human growing away inside of her, a brand new life that she was going to bring into this world but, oh my god what was she thinking? Was she really going to do this alone? She didn’t know anything about babies and she was completely on her own. Was she insane?! 

 

“Would you like to hear the heartbeat?” Dr Montgomery interrupted her thoughts, and Lena still couldn’t find her voice so she simply nodded as her eyes continued to watch the screen while her brain buzzed a hundred miles an hour.

 

Everything, _everything_ melted away the moment she heard it.

 

The steady pounding of her baby’s heart filled the room and Lena’s cheeks were soaked as she cried. It was beautiful and perfect and just _everything _.__  It was the most amazing sound she’d ever heard and she felt her heart soar as she listened to it.

_

 

 

“Hey, what are you thinking about so intently?” Sam asked curiously as she sat down on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee.

 

“Nothing, just..” Lena trailed off to press a quick kiss to the top of Leni’s head before continuing. “Thinking about this little one, and how ridiculously worried I was about everything and it turns out she’s the only thing I’m getting right.” she laughed self deprecatingly.

 

Sam didn’t say anything, but flashed her a look over the large coffee mug.

 

“What?” Lena asked with her ‘no nonsense’ face on.

 

“Well I mean.. it’s just funny that you’re thinking about that right now, in the midst of being ridiculously worried over another certain someone, when everything turned out perfectly with this little ray of sunshine.” Sam nodded towards to Leni, who was still sitting in Lena’s crossed legs and happily stacking up her blocks.

 

“I-..” her eyebrows furrowed and she wasn’t sure what to reply to that.

 

“Are you guys spending the night?” Sam changed the subject in an attempt to put Lena out of her mystery.

 

“Oh, no it’s fine Sam. We’ll get heading soon, I’ve already imposed enough.”

 

“Oh shut up.” Sam brushed her off before turning to Leni. “Hey Leni, you wanna spend another night at aunt Sammy’s house?” she asked her excitedly.

 

“Yeaaaah!” Leni exclaimed before wrestling her way out of Lena’s lap and jumping up before turning to face her. “Can we mommy?”

 

Lena was in absolutely no position whatsoever to deny her baby anything when she flashed her that look, and Sam fine well knew that.

 

“Of course we can babe.” she told her before turning to Sam. “Thank you.”

 

“You know I love the company.”

 

The living room erupted into laughter as Leni enthusiastically smashed the tower she’d spent the last ten minutes carefully building with a loud roar as the bricks fell down and scattered all over the floor.

 

“What are you doing you little monkey?” Lena grabbed Leni, pulling her close before she tickled her into a heap on the floor as Leni rolled around laughing heartily.

 

“Mo-Mommy!” Leni called out through her laughter as she continued to wriggle.

 

 * * *

 

Lena went through Leni’s usual bedtime routine at Sam’s house, having missed being able to do it the night before. She bathed her before drying her off and dressing her in a spare pair of fuzzy pyjamas that Sam kept at her place. She tucked her into the large bed in Sam’s guest room where she had slept last night and spent some time singing her to sleep. Lena would usually opt for a bedtime story or two, but she didn’t have any of Leni’s favorite books with her so she asked for a song instead.

 

 

_Here comes the sun,_

_And I say, it’s alright._

_Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here,_

_But here comes the sun._

__

She sang softy until Leni eventually dozed off and Lena stayed in bed with her for a little while to make sure she wasn’t going to wake back up, before slowly extracting herself from the sheets and making her way back downstairs.

 

Ruby had asked to spend the night at a friend’s house and Sam had left to drop her off whilst Lena was getting Leni ready for bed. She headed into the kitchen and pulled out the drawer that she knew contained all of Sam’s takeout menus before selecting one and ordering more food than they’d probably be able to eat.

 

The food arrived just after Sam returned home, and they settled down on the couch in the living room as they tucked into their feast and watched some painfully mindnumbing reality TV show that Sam supposedly enjoyed.

 

“How did our lives get so exciting, huh?” Sam joked as they clinked their pizza slices together in a fake toast. “To crazy weekends.”

 

“To crazy weekends.” Lena repeated with a laugh. “And to best friends who always know what you need.”

 

Sam flashed her a soft smile before pulling Lena in for a hug.

 

“I love you.” Lena whispered. “Thank you for everything, seriously.”

 

“i love you too, you big softie.” Sam squeezed her a little tighter.

 

Their hug was cut short by the sound of Lena’s ringtone sounding loudly throughout the room and she scrambled to find it, wondering who on earth would be calling her on a Sunday night when all of her guesses were currently in the same house as her.

 

Lena’s heart jumped into her throat as she picked up her phone and looked down at the screen.

 

_Kara._

 

Her panic filled eyes shot over to Sam as she held up the phone for her to see.

 

“Answer! You can do this!” Sam encouraged. “Do you want me to leave?”

 

Lena shook her head before taking a deep breath and sliding the green answer button across the screen.

 

“Hello?” she answered quietly.

 

“Leeeeeeeena.” the voice on the other end sang down the line.

 

“Kara?” she questioned.

 

“Oh my name sounds s- so pretty when you say it.” she sighed dreamily.

 

“Kara, are you _drunk?”_ Lena laughed.

 

The giggles, broken up by a series of hiccups, confirmed Lena’s suspicions. She felt torn between relief, and guilt about feeling so relieved. She knew Kara was completely unable to have a serious conversation in her current state.

 

“Leeeena I- Oh oops..” Lena heard a loud crashing noise before Kara began giggling again.

 

“Kara is everything alright? Are you with your sister?”

 

“I lost her at the bar.” Kara slurred and Lena struggled to make out her words.

 

“Okay, where are you now?”

 

“I’m.. I’m.. I don’t know where I am.” she giggled again. “It’s dark.. and cold.”

 

“What’s happening?” Sam whispered after noticing the concerned look on Lena’s face.

 

Lena pulled the phone away from her ear, muffling the speaker before replying.

 

“She’s drunk, and apparently lost. I think she’s outside somewhere.”

 

When Lena brought her phone back up to her ear, the call had been disconnected.

 

“Oh crap.” she muttered before scrolling through her contacts and hitting the call button on Kara’s name.

 

The phone rang a few times and Lena was growing more worried with each passing second. She hated the thought of Kara drunkenly wondering the streets alone and her brain flashed with all of the horrible possibilities. When she eventually picked up, it was a man’s voice that answered.

 

“Hi, is this Lena?”

 

“Uh.. yes, it is. May I ask who this is?” she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

“It’s Joe, I work at the bar. We found her in the alley and she asked for you before she passed out, would you be able to come pick her up?”

 

“I-.. Yeah, yeah sure I can do that. I’ll be there soon, just text me the address.”

 

Lena filled Sam in on what had happened as she quickly grabbed her keys and slipped on her sneakers before heading out the door with a promise to be back as soon as she could.

 

* * *

 

When Lena arrived at the bar she spotted Kara immediately. She was propped up on one of the bar stools, a glass of water clutched in her hand as she rested her cheek in the palm of her other hand. Her face lit up the moment her eyes fell on Lena, and she excitedly attempted to move towards her before immediately tripping and falling to the ground as her leg caught the leg of the stool. Lena rushed over and helped scoop her up from the floor before hurriedly checking her over for injuries.

 

“Are you okay?!” Lena asked worriedly.

 

“God, she’s so pretty.” Kara mumbled quietly to herself as she stared dreamily at Lena’s face.

 

Yep, she was okay.

 

Getting Kara out of the bar and into her car was not an easy task. She could barely hold herself up and Lena desperately tried to ignore the tingling feeling shooting across her skin in the places that Kara’s arm wrapped so firmly around her waist for support. Now was _not_ the time to be entertaining these thoughts, so she pushed them as far back into her mind as she could before finally managing to keep Kara upright whilst unlocking the passenger’s side door and helping her inside.

 

She managed to coax Kara’s address from her, and they pulled up outside a surprisingly nice apartment building not long afterwards.

 

Lena helped her inside and was beyond grateful upon realizing there was an elevator, and that she wouldn’t have to attempt to get Kara up the stairs. The doors swung open and they entered before Kara reached over and fumbled with the number 3 button until Lena took pity and pressed it for her.

 

When they finally made it into her apartment, Kara seemed even further gone than she had before, if that was even possible. She stumbled a few times before they made it into her bedroom and Lena gently guided her down onto the bed.

 

“Please don’t tell Lena about this.” Kara mumbled as she settled, fully clothed, into her pillow as Lena began taking her shoes off for her. “This is so embarrassing you can’t tell Lena about this.”

 

Lena stifled a laugh as she started working on the other shoe.

 

“Do you know Lena? She’s the _best. _”__  Kara continued to mumble into the pillow as her eyes fluttered closed. “She kissed me! And it was like.. when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.. fireworks.. but in here.” she gestured to her chest before whispering a little “Kaboom.”

 

Lena desperately tried to ignore what she was saying. She felt like she was invading Kara’s privacy by listening, so she quickly located a throw at the bottom of the bed and gently placed it over Kara to keep her warm before she made to leave the room, but a hand gripping onto her wrist stopped her from moving.

 

“Will you make sure Lena is okay for me? I think she’s struggling and I just.. I just want her to be okay.” Kara slurred into her pillow before the grip on Lena’s wrist went loose and Kara promptly fell asleep.

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u guys feed me so good with comments, so thank u all so much for that :) love u all

 

 

The first thing Kara registered when she stirred the next morning was the consistent pounding of her brain against the inside of her skull. The sun was steadily streaming in through the gap between her curtains and she fought against the pain of the unwelcome brightness as she pried open her eyes, bleary and squinting as she struggled to locate her phone on the nightstand to check the time. Her limbs felt heavy as she held her phone up ridiculously close to her face and only just made out the information on the screen. It was a little after nine, which usually wouldn’t phase her too much, until she noticed the day at the top of the screen and felt her adrenaline jump start. _Monday._

 

Kara shot up out of bed immediately, muttering a few choice curse words under her breath as she tried to settle herself enough to think clearly. Work. She was late for work. She had to go to work. Her stomach roiled in protest and she was suddenly painfully certain of one thing. She was about to throw up.

 

She rushed into the bathroom, handing smacking blindly for the light switch on the wall before dropping to her knees in front of the toilet bowl, scooping her hair back and miserably waiting for the inevitable. Kara hated throwing up, not that she knew anyone who enjoyed it, but she wallowed in self pity as she repeatedly emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. She barely registered Alex creeping in and tying her hair up for her in the midst of her retching, but when she was sure she was done, she zoned in on the comforting feeling of Alex’s warm hand rubbing circles up and down across the expanse of her back as she sank down onto the floor, pressing her cheek against the welcomed cool of tile.

 

“I’m gonna be.. late for work.” she mumbled sleepily in Alex’s direction.

 

“It’s a long weekend, you idiot. You don’t have work.” Alex reminded her as she attempted to scoop her up from the floor.

 

Every part of Kara’s body protested the movement and Alex eventually gave in trying to lift the dead weight that was her extremely hungover sister up from the floor, opting instead to bring a pillow and blanket from her bedroom through to the bathroom for Kara to lay on. By the time she returned with with a glass of water and a few painkillers, Kara had passed out once again, curled up with the pillow.

 

It was noon before she finally stirred again, her body aching and sore from lying on the tiled floor for so long. Kara pulled herself up into a sitting position before she figured out what had woken her in the first place. The smell. It was heavenly. Whatever Alex was cooking in the kitchen strongly agreed with her hangover and she mustered the strength to scrape herself up from the floor and pad through to the kitchen, her head continuously pounding in time with each of her steps as she went.

 

“Oh good, you’re alive! I made you lunch.” Alex greeted her as she hoisted herself up into one of the stools at the kitchen island and rested her cheeks in her palms

 

Kara mumbled a quick thanks before a plate of pure bliss was set before her and she felt her mouth water as she took it in. It was everything she could’ve wanted in that moment. Sausage, bacon, eggs and a few questionably shaped, but surprisingly delicious looking, pancakes.

 

She tucked in immediately, stopping only to take a few gulps of the heavenly coffee that Alex had set down beside her at some point while she stuffed her face, before resuming. By the time she had finished, she felt marginally better than she had earlier when she’d woken up, and Alex managed to coax her over to the couch.

 

“Thank you for getting me home last night. I’m not sure I would’ve survived without you here.” Kara laughed as Alex handed her another steaming hot mug of coffee and sat down beside her. “I’m sorry for getting so carried away with the whole drinking thing, I’m not sure what happened.”

 

“I didn’t bring you home last night?” Alex told her with a confused look on her face. “You told me you’d join me in the cab but you never did, I would’ve headed back out to look for you but I heard you come in not long after me so I knew you were okay.”

 

Kara’s memories were cloudy and she fought hard to clear the alcohol induced haze that surrounded the events of the night before, but regardless of how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to remember anything. She could vaguely recall being outside at some point, but anything past that was completely gone.

 

How the hell did she get home?

 

* * *

 

Leni may have been fortunate enough to have the day off school for the long weekend, but Lena and Sam weren’t so lucky. Lena had dropped a very sleepy version of her baby girl off at her daycare early in the morning before both she and Sam had headed into work for the day. Despite popular belief, Lena actually didn’t mind typical Mondays too much. However, today she had to deal with the aftermath of the lockdown paperwork, both the work she hadn’t finished over the weekend and the new stuff from the second time the building was locked down, and it took up a good chunk of her time. She completed it with ease, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed doing it in the slightest. Paperwork was tedious and mind numbing and she was beyond relieved when she finally finished up for the day. She had decided to work through her lunch break so that she could finish everything that needed to get done a little faster and be able to head home earlier than she usually would, and she’d never been so happy with a work related decision in her entire life.

 

Lena said her goodbyes to everyone as she happily headed towards the elevator before slipping inside and riding it down to the ground floor on her own. She faced down against the wind as she walked along the sidewalk, pulling her coat tighter around herself as the cold air whipped around her, irritatingly blowing stray strands of her hair in every direction as it stuck to her lip gloss. When she’d eventually made it into her car, flattened her hair out as best she could, and turned the heat up, she wasn’t actually sure where to go. Lena wasn’t due to pick Leni up for another few hours, having finished her work so early, and she was debating going to pick her up early or being selfish and taking some time to herself.

 

She ultimately decided on being selfish, and despite the little amount of guilt that was nagging at her, she was excited to have a little time alone. She pulled out into the late afternoon traffic and headed for home, happily singing along to her choice of song on the radio as she went.

 

Pulling up in the driveway without Leni in the backseat wriggling around, excited to get out, was actually weirder than Lena thought it would have been. She didn’t have a ton of bags or a restless three year old to wrestle with on the way in. She simply got out of the car and headed straight inside the house. The complete silence that met her upon entering the front door was a little weird too, although not entirely unwelcome. She’d had a mentally draining few days and it was a relief to know that she was completely alone. No one was relying on her for anything and she had a few free hours to just be Lena, not the CEO of L-Corp, not anyone’s mom, not whatever the hell she was to Kara. She could just be Lena, and Lena was more than enough for her right now.

 

The only problem with having some much deserved alone time was that Lena had absolutely no idea what to do with herself. She had grown so accustomed to her routine that she was completely lost without it.

 

She abandoned her heels at the door, sighing loudly in relief as her aching feet were finally free from their prisons, before padding through to the kitchen and taking a moment to look around. She tried to think of what she would have done before, but the truth is that she would never have left work early before Leni. She would have stayed working away behind her desk, until a ridiculously late hour and then reluctantly dragged herself home for a few hours sleep before heading back the next morning and repeating it all over again.

 

Her eyes fell on a framed photo of Leni hanging from the wall in the kitchen, she was a little over a year old, sitting in the bathtub with a bubble beard on her face as she giggled away and Lena smiled at it for a moment before the idea popped into her head. She bathed Leni almost every single night of her life, and yet she couldn’t remember the last time she had run a bath for herself. Her routine typically consisted of taking the fastest shower humanly possible before having to rush around and do whatever needed to be done for Leni. Yeah, a bath sounded incredible.

 

She headed upstairs to the large bathroom down the hall. Unlike her en suite bathroom, which was almost embarrassingly cluttered with everything ranging from her make up to different lotions and what not for Leni, to her own skin care stuff and a variety of different products for her hair, the main bathroom was immaculate. The overly large tub stood proudly in the center of the crisp white room. The floors were shiny and untouched and Lena immediately headed over to start running the hot water into the tub. She rarely used this bathroom, she always bathed Leni in the other one so that she could contain the mess to one area, so it was a nice treat to be able to make use of it.

 

She poured a few different scented oils into the tub as it continued to fill with water, basking in the luxurious smells that filled the large room as the steam steadily rose up from the water, before adding some bubble bath into the mix as well. She watched intently as the bath steadily began to fill and switched over to cold water once she was content with the depth. She scraped her hair up into a loose messy bun right on the top of her head to make sure it stayed dry before stripping off and leaving all of her clothes by the door to deal with when she was done.

 

The feeling of sheer relaxation that overcame her as she lowered herself into the water was indescribable. It sloshed back and forth a few times as she sank fully in and settled, humming contently as the comforting warmth enveloped her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a moment to just bask in the silence.

 

“Oh God, why don’t I do this more often?” Lena questioned out loud. Unsurprisingly, the empty room didn’t answer her as she continued to revel in the feelings.

 

She spent the better part of an hour sitting in the scented, bubble filled tub, and if at some point she allowed herself to indulge in a few of her favorite fantasies while her hand slipped south beneath the water to stoke a fire that she hadn’t ignited for way too long, well, that was her god given right as a woman.

 

By the time she’d gotten herself dried off, switched out her work clothes for her comfortable ‘mom’ clothes, consisting of her favorite worn jeans and her softest, oversized knitted white sweater and swapped her contacts out for her large thick rimmed black glasses, Lena still had two more hours to kill before she had to leave. With nothing left to distract her, she found that her thoughts drifted back to the night before and she couldn’t seem to get Kara’s words out of her head. Lena highly doubted that Kara would even remember it at all, which would mean Kara’s last memory of Lena was the kiss just before Lena had run off, and she was debating whether or not to call Kara about everything.

 

She’s not sure if it was the relaxation from the bath, or the post orgasm glow, but she tapped into a sense of calm that she didn’t know she had and hit dial on Kara’s number before she had the chance to over think and eventually panic her way out of it. Her confidence slowly dissipated with each ring that went unanswered until she eventually reached Kara’s voicemail and hung up before the tone sounded for her to leave a message.

 

She didn’t want to leave Kara hanging, wondering why she had called, so Lena opted to send a quick text message instead.

__

_Lena: I hope your hangover isn’t too bad, although I imagine it most likely is. I hope you’re okay. -L x_

__

She read over it a few times before hitting send and locking her phone.

 

* * *

 

Kara was in the midst of a power nap on the couch when she vaguely registered her phone buzzing somewhere near her. She was too out of it to fully comprehend that one is typically supposed to answer phone calls, and it took her a few moments to get her bearings before blindly reaching out for her phone on the coffee table.

 

She felt her heart rate pick up as eventually grabbed it and looked down at the screen.

 

_Lena Luthor missed call. (1)_

_Lena Luthor iMessage. (1)_

__

Kara scrambled to sit up before sliding the notification with the message across the screen and opened it up.

_Lena: I hope your hangover isn’t too bad, although I imagine it most likely is. I hope you’re okay. -L x_

 

Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap.

 

It was like she was watching a movie in which someone’s life flashes before their eyes in a sequence, but instead of her life, it was the events of last night. Lena had been the missing key, and once she had that, everything unlocked and came flooding back in an overwhelming wave as it played back like a movie in her head.

 

She remembered calling Lena from the alley, and bumping into a trash can in said alley during said phone call, as the faint bruise on her knee confirmed. She remembered waking up at the bar, and the wave of pure joy that had flooded through her upon seeing Lena approaching. She remembered Lena bringing her home and she regrettably remembered everything that she had said, and she had never in her life wished so hard that the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

 

Still, she was surprised that Lena had shown up at all, and even more surprised that she had reached out today. The least Kara could do was call her back. She ran over to the kitchen sink to grab a glass of water before settling back down on the couch and calling Lena back.

 

* * *

 

Lena couldn’t think of anything else to do to occupy her time, and the silence of the house was weirding her out more than a little at this stage, so she decided she’d go pick up Leni a little early from daycare and maybe take her out for frozen yogurt or something as a surprise treat. She was just about to go grab a pair of her sneakers from the shoe closet when she heard her ringtone sounding loudly from where she’d left her phone on the kitchen counter and she rushed through to retrieve it.

 

She wasn’t overly surprised to see Kara’s name, but it still caused that same little bubble of anxiety to appear before she swallowed it down and hit the answer button.

 

“Kara, hi.” she breathed nervously down the line after bringing the phone up to her ear.

 

“Hey.. Uh.” she heard Kara clear her throat before she began to ramble at an impressive speed. “I just wanted to apologize for last night, I was completely and utterly out of order and I just want you to know that I’m so deeply sorry. I was a little down.. about everything that happened.. and Alex offered to take me out to get my mind off of it but I guess I failed and I ended up getting way too drunk and calling you anyway and I’m sorry.”

 

“Kara-..” Lena began before she was cut off.

 

“Actually would it be okay if-.. Could I maybe-.. Can we talk, you know, face to face? I understand if you don’t want to, and I know that it’s a lot for you and it can be overwhelming but I’d really like to see you, and talk to you if you’d be up for that.”

 

Lena’s first instinct was to say no, to shut everything down and avoid it for as long as humanly possible, but then she thought about what Sam had said, and she tried to rationalize everything. She always ran, and it wasn’t working for her. It was her inability to stop herself from shutting down and running that had gotten her into this mess in the first place so maybe it was time to consider a different approach. She moved the phone away from her mouth a little so that Kara would miss the deep, steadying breath that she took in an effort to calm herself before bringing it back and replying.

 

“I-.. Yes, yeah. We can talk.”

 

“Oh.” Kara let out in surprise. “Oh, yeah, okay. That’s.. that’s awesome, I didn’t think you’d actually be up for it.” she laughed nervously and Lena could almost picture the way she was most likely fiddling with her glasses. “but I’m glad you are.”

 

“You can come to my place if you’d like? I’m kid free for the next few hours.” Lena offered up hesitantly. If she was going to dive, she might as well throw herself into the deep end.

 

“Yeah, that would be great, but only if you’re sure.” Kara seemed pretty adamant as she spoke.

 

“Honestly.. I’m not, but I’d really like to talk.” Lena told her honestly.

 

“Okay. I’ll be there in twenty. See you soon, Lena.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon, Kara. Bye.”

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another chapter since apparently i have no self control and you were all pissed about me leaving the last one where i did, pls enjoy :)

 

 

 

“Sam? Sam!” Lena breathlessly rushed down the line, phone clutched desperately to her ear.

 

“What’s happening?! Is everything okay? Is Leni alright?” Sam’s voice filled with panic.

 

“Oh yeah, yes, she’s fine. Kara called to talk and I-.. I asked her to come over and she’ll be here soon and now I can’t breathe and I’m just freaking out and I don’t know what to do and-..”

 

“Woaaaah okay, first of all, you need to slow down and take a breath if you want me to help you.” Sam cut her off mid sentence. “Second of all, I’m so freaking proud of you!” she squealed down the line.

 

“Why is this so hard for me?” Lena questioned out loud. “I feel like the dumbest person alive, it shouldn’t be hard, this is what normal human beings do and I somehow am incapable of functioning like one.”

 

“Lena, there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ human being. We all have different things that we struggle with, it doesn’t make any of us more or less valid as people.” Sam told her softly. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, all that’s happening right now is a talk. You’ve got this, I know you can do it.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right.” Lena paced back and forth across the expanse of the living room as she spoke.

 

“Listen I’m still at work so I really have to go.” Sam regrettably told her. “But I’ll give you a call later, and if you need anything then you know where I am.”

 

“Thank you, I’ll talk to you later. Love you, bye.”

 

“Love you too, see ya.”

 

Lena hung up and headed through to the kitchen to plug her phone into the charger. She had to admit that she felt a little better after talking to Sam, but she was still freaking out. A little over ten minutes had passed since she had gotten off the phone with Kara and she wasn’t sure what to do with herself while she waited. She could feel her nerves growing with each passing second and she tried to distract herself by flicking through her various social media apps, which actually turned out to be quite effective in taking her mind off of everything, until the doorbell sounded and she had to take a deep breath before facing the music.

 

She noted the rain battering down on the windows as she rushed to answer the door, not wanting Kara to end up soaked before even having the chance to come inside. She swung the door open, wincing slightly as the wind blew the water in her direction and Kara rushed in quickly before Lena closed the door behind her.

 

“Thank you.” Kara breathed as she shucked off her coat. “It’s crazy out ther-.. _oh _.”__ she trailed off as she turned around, and Lena suddenly felt very self conscious as she felt Kara’s eyes on her.

 

“Is everything okay?” She asked, nervously fidgeting with a loose thread on the overly long sleeve of her sweater.

 

“Yeah, yeah sorry.” Kara snapped out of whatever daze she had fallen into. “I just didn’t know you wore glasses. They’re cu-.. nice. They’re nice.”

 

“Oh, uh, thank you.” Lena laughed nervously before gesturing to the hallway. “We can talk in the living room, but w- would you like a tea or coffee or anything first?”

 

“Oh yeah sure, a coffee would be amazing, thank you.”

 

Lena lead Kara into the living room and gestured for her to take a seat whilst she rushed off to the kitchen to make their drinks. Kara took the opportunity to look around the large room after Lena had gone. She knew Lena had money, and she wasn’t exactly expecting a palace, but the warmth and homeliness of the house surprised her. The hardwood oak flooring that led throughout the house was beautiful and the high ceilings made the place look even bigger than it was. The large stuffed U shaped couch took up a good portion of the room and Kara had to admit it was one of the most comfortable couches she’d ever sat on. There were photos hanging everywhere, proudly displaying Lena’s life with Leni and the large television on the wall would put some movie theaters to shame.

 

Lena took a few steadying breaths as she waited for the water to boil. She was able to keep her anxiety at bay for now, and it wasn’t long before she was heading back through to where Kara was seated in the living room, a mug clutched in each hand.

 

“Oh, thank you.” Kara smiled as Lena handed off one of the mugs to her. “This place is amazing, it’s so beautiful.” she gestured around the room.

 

“Thank you. I can’t take the credit though I’m afraid.” Lena laughed as she sat down on the couch opposite Kara, tucking one of her legs beneath her before bringing the other up to rest on the seat. “I hired an interior designer to come in and do the place up shortly before I moved in.”

 

“Well, they did a great job.” Kara complimented.

 

The room fell into an awkward silence as they each sipped on their drinks and Lena wasn’t sure where to go from here.

 

“Kara, listen-..” She began at the same time as Kara did.

 

“Look, Lena-..”

 

They each broke off and laughed a little at the sheer awkwardness of the situation before Lena spoke up again.

 

“Okay, you go first.” She told Kara with a smile.

 

“Okay.” Kara nodded as she adjusted herself on the couch and took a breath before beginning. “I really just wanted to apologize to you, face to face. I was upset, about what happened.. about you kissing me. Well, actually, no. Not the kiss, just that you ran off afterwards, and Alex noticed I was a little down and I’ve never been able to keep anything from her, she sees right through me, it’s actually kind of creepy.. But anyway, I told her what happened and she offered to take me, or rather _dragged_ me out to the bar to try and take my mind off of things and I got way too carried away and I just want you to know that I’m truly sorry for that.”

 

Lena listened intently while Kara spoke, there were a few times she wanted to butt in but refrained from doing so in favor of telling her everything at once, but the more she listened, the more guilt she felt. Kara was apologizing to her, and for what? For getting upset after Lena upset her? It didn’t sit right with her and she eagerly awaited Kara finishing up so that she could talk.

 

“Kara, I don’t..” she trailed off, taking a deep breath before letting it out and deciding to dive. “I don’t have much experience with things like this, but I don’t think you owe me an apology, if anything it should be me apologizing to you. I’m sorry, for everything. I know when we first met I was awful to you, and it’s not an excuse, I know I was a terrible person, but it’s my coping mechanism, albeit not a very good one. I tend to make it difficult for people to get close to me, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, and I didn’t intend for you to get so caught up in my mess and I really am sorry for that. You’re a great person, Kara. You really are. You’re strong and kind and funny and you didn’t deserve to be left feeling abandoned after I kiss-.. After what I did. I’m sorry for that, I just got so overwhelmed by everything..” Lena trailed off upon noticing the look Kara was giving her, and it took her a moment to realize that she was crying. She immediately turned away from Kara, wiping her tears on the sleeves of her sweater before turning back around to her previous position. “God, I’m sorry. I’m such a mess, I don’t even know why I’m crying. This is so embarrassing.” she laughed a wet, self deprecating laugh as Kara just continued to stare.

 

“Lena..” she spoke softly, voice laced with compassion as she began shifting forward in her seat before stopping. “Can I come give you a hug?”

 

Lena was too embarrassed to even meet her eyes, she stared down, once again fidgeting with the loose thread hanging from her sweater before nodding a few times and wiping away another stray tear that had escaped and began rolling down her cheek.

 

Kara got up immediately, setting her mug down carefully on the floor before crossing the room and settling down beside Lena. She gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the other snuck around her waist. Lena tensed up at first, her body seemingly rejecting the gesture, before she managed to relax and Kara felt her sink into the warm embrace of the hug. She held Lena for a few seconds before she spoke quietly, hesitant to break the little bubble of comfortable silence that they had created.

 

“You know, I read something a while ago that said hugging someone for twenty seconds or more releases a hormone called oxytocin. It can help calm people down and make them feel less anxious.” Kara told her, squeezing a little tighter before continuing. “So, just so you know, I’m not gonna be letting go for at least twenty seconds.”

 

Lena didn’t reply, she didn’t know how or what to reply, so she simply nuzzled her head a little deeper into Kara’s neck and allowed herself to indulge in the feeling of being held so securely. Kara smelled vaguely of apples and something reminiscent of freshly baked cookies, and she’d blurted the words out before she had the chance to stop herself.

 

“Did you bake cookies?” Lena blushed furiously upon hearing the words that had escaped her mouth and she realized she’d been shamelessly sniffing Kara for the duration of their hug. Lena felt her laugh as it rumbled deep in her chest before it made it’s way out.

 

“I didn’t, my sister did. I would’ve brought some over but I kinda, sorta ate them all.” she laughed again. “How did you know?”

 

“Mhm, you smell like cookies.”

 

“Oh, you smell amazing too, by the way.” Kara rested her chin on top of Lena’s head. “I didn’t want to say anything and have you think I was being a creep, but you smell like, ridiculously good.”

 

“So now I’m the creep who pointed out how you smell.” Lena joked with a little, barely there laugh. Kara heard it anyway.

 

“Lena I just.. I want you to know that I don’t see myself as having been ‘dragged into your mess’. I don’t have many friends here, just a few of the teachers that I talk to at work, but I really enjoyed spending time with you the other night. It was honestly one of the best nights I’ve had in a really long time, minus the whole lockdown thing, although that was kinda fun too in it’s own way, but what I’m trying to say is that the view you have of yourself isn’t entirely accurate. You’re a pretty good one, Lena. And I know, I know you’re going to say that I don’t know you and while that may be partially true, I think I know more than you’re giving me credit for.”

 

Lena listened to Kara’s words and the whole situation, the idea of actually opening up to Kara, suddenly didn’t seem as monumental as it had a few minutes ago.

 

“It scares me.” Lena whispered quietly into her shoulder. “I don’t _know_ why, which is beyond frustrating, but just the idea of getting close to someone or letting someone in, it freaks me out.”

 

“You know, it’s usually the things in life that we’re most afraid of that let us know what’s really important to us. If you don’t care about something, then it’s most likely not going to be very important to you. But when you feel fear, it’s not because of the thing itself, it’s because you want it so badly that you’re afraid you won’t succeed. You’ll never know unless you try, and the worst that can happen is that you fail. But even then, you still tried, and if you fail, well then you’re no worse off than you are right now. The best, most exciting things in life tend to be on the other side of fear.”

 

Lena lifted her head from Kara’s shoulder at that. Her eyes were still brimming with unshed tears as she looked up into Kara’s eyes. She had no idea how to respond, but the look of sheer awe in which she stared at Kara portrayed everything she needed it to, without her even knowing.

 

“If you want me to leave today and go back to just being Leni’s teacher, then I’ll do that if it’s what makes you more comfortable. I promise there won’t be any bad blood between us, but if you’d like to, and I know I really would, we could hang out a little more. There’s absolutely no pressure or anything, I just really enjoy spending time with you.” Kara finished with a smile.

 

“I enjoy spending time with you, too.” Lena confessed as she slid her fingers beneath her glasses and wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. “and that’s very rare and sometimes overly difficult for me, but I do think I would enjoy doing more things together. I unsurprisingly don’t have many friends either.” she laughed.

 

Kara replied by pulling her in for another hug, and they sat there for a while until Lena remembered that she had to pick Leni up.

 

“I’m sorry, but I have to go pick Leni up soon, she’s at daycare.” she told Kara as she regrettably slid out of her embrace. “But I just wanted to thank you, for all of this. I’m not sure I deserve the patience and kindness that you’ve shown and I’d like you to know that it means a lot to me.”

 

“Oh yeah sure, of course. You can’t be late for that.” Kara let her go. “You don’t have to thank me for that, but I’d like you to know that it means a lot to me, too. I’m really happy we could finally have a proper talk.”

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

Kara left with another quick hug and a promise to text Lena about arranging future plans.

 

* * *

 

“Mommy!” Leni called out happily as she came sprinting down the hallway towards Lena.

 

“Hey babe! Did you have a good day?” Lena scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek. Leni nodded enthusiastically in reply as she wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck and squeezed her tight. “I was thinking maybe we could go get some frozen yogurt if you like? I really missed you today.”

 

“Yeah mommy!” she exclaimed excitedly as she wriggled to get back down to the ground.

 

The two of them walked hand in hand to the car before Lena got her all strapped in securely and they headed straight for their favorite frozen yogurt place just around the corner.

 

Leni insisted on ridiculously overfilling her tub with toppings and Lena laughed heartily as she watched her tiny eyes light up at the sight of the overflowing tub while they headed over to the table.

 

“Hey babe, smile!” Lena told her as she held her phone up and Leni immediately flashed a toothy grin upon seeing the camera that melted Lena’s heart into a pile of mush as she snapped the photo. “You’re so cute.” she cooed as Leni began digging into her yogurt.

 

“Thanks mommy.” Leni only just managed to get out over a ridiculously large mouthful of food.

 

“You’re very welcome munchkin, if you don’t slow down you’re gonna get brain freeze.”

 

* * *

 

After a particularly long phone call to Sam, during which she filled her in on everything that had happened earlier that afternoon with Kara whilst Sam gushed repeatedly about how proud of her she was, a very exhausted Lena headed to bed. She set her alarm for the next morning before locking her phone and sighing in contentment as she settled down for the night.

 

Her earlier conversation with Kara had lifted a significant weight off of her shoulders and she fell asleep with more ease than she had in a really long time.

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again to everyone who takes the time to leave a comment after each chapter, it really means more to me than i can say and it motivates me beyond belief to keep writing, ur all legends and i love u

 

 

“Come on babe, time to get up.” Lena spoke softly as she sat down on the edge of Leni’s bed and began to circle her back back with her warm hand. “You gotta get up now babe, we can’t be late for school.”

 

She smiled at the slightly flushed face that popped up from it’s spot where it was buried beneath the pillow and took in the sight of Leni’s wildly untamed bedhead. She grumbled something unintelligible in Lena’s direction, eyes still closed as Lena scooped her up and carried her downstairs for breakfast. She held loosely onto Lena as they descended the staircase, gradually waking up a little more as they made their way into the kitchen where Lena had set up breakfast for the two of them at the table.

 

Leni seemed uncharacteristically clingier than usual as Lena attempted to set her down in her usual seat. She fussed and clung tighter to her until she gave in trying to set her down and instead took up her own seat and settled with Leni on her lap.

 

“You okay babe?” Lena brushed her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear to get a clearer look at Leni’s face but she didn’t answer, she simply nuzzled her face further into Lena’s chest and held the front of her shirt tightly in her grasp.

 

“My tummy mommy.” she grumbled as Lena rubbed comforting circles on her back until she was able to speak.

 

“Is it hurting?” Lena asked softly, and Leni replied by nodding into her chest. Lena guided her face up to look at her and noted that it still looked a little flushed, more so than her typical ‘just woke up’ look.

 

Lena stood up and carried her over to the medicine cabinet at the far end of the kitchen before taking a few things out and returning to her seat, Leni still glued to her lap.

 

 “Hmm you’re running a little bit of a fever.” Lena told her as she studied the thermometer. “Mommy is gonna give you some medicine and see how you feel after it okay? It’s looking like you might need to stay off school today, munchkin.”

 

“Nooo!” Leni whimpered in reply. “It’s trip day mommy.”

 

Lena hadn’t forgotten about the upcoming class trip to the science museum, in fact she had actually been rather excited about it herself. She may or may not have gone to the extent of purchasing them matching shirts with the words ‘ _Think like a proton, always positive!’_  on them upon reading the email with the information about the trip inside. Leni had been buzzing around talking about it for a week straight after she had found out that the entire class would be going, but Lena knew if she was sick it probably wasn’t the best idea to take her out of the house and interact with other kids that could end up catching whatever it was that she had.

 

“I know it is babe, I know.” she comforted her. “But you won’t enjoy it very much if you’re sick.”

 

“But I wanna go mommy.” Leni cried into her shoulder. “I really wanna go.”

 

“Okay, how about this.” Lena began as she continued to cry. “I’ll give you some medicine, and then we’ll eat our breakfast and see how you feel after that. If we can’t go today then mommy will take you, just the two of us, when you feel better, okay?”

 

“Okay.” she resigned and sniffled into her shirt as she nodded.

 

As breakfast progressed, it was growing more and more obvious that there was no way Leni would be going anywhere any time soon. She could barely stomach her cereal, and Lena even resorted to giving her one of her chocolate yogurts from the fridge, usually reserved for a treat, in an attempt to get her to eat something, but when she turned that down Lena knew that she was too sick to be going out. Thankfully, she had taken the day off of work weeks in advance for the trip, so she was able to stay home and take care of her baby.

 

Leni barely protested when Lena lay her down on the couch with a few of her blankets and set up a movie on the television to keep her occupied for a few minutes whilst Lena snuck off down the hall to make a few phone calls. She called their pediatrician first, immediately setting up an appointment for this afternoon to get Leni checked out to make sure that it was nothing serious, before dialing the number for the school and letting the woman at the desk know that Leni wouldn’t be in today. Her thumb hovered over Kara’s name, hesitating for a few moments before she hit the call button and brought her phone up to her ear for the third time.

 

“Lena! Hi!” Kara’s voice rang out happily down the line. “How are you?”

 

“Hey, yeah I’m not bad. I-.. Uh, I’m sorry to bother you-..”

 

“Oh no you’re never a bother.” Kara cut her off immediately, clearly eager to reassure her that Lena was most definitely not bothering her.

 

“Okay, good to know.” Lena laughed quietly. “I was just calling to tell you that we won’t be able to make the trip today, Leni is poorly and I don’t want to risk passing it on to any of the other kids or anything.”

 

“Oh bless her heart, poor thing, I hope she feels better soon.” Kara told her sincerely. “I think she was the most excited out of everyone, she definitely got her love of science from you.”

 

“Yeah us science nerds were super excited, there may or may not have been matching shirts involved.” Lena paused as they both laughed. “I promised I would take her when she feels better though, so it’s not all bad.”

 

“You’re such an awesome mom, it would be awesome to be your kid.. I mean-.. That’s not what I meant, I’m glad you’re not my mom-.. N-Not that you wouldn’t be a great mom to me because I’m sure you that would be but-..”

 

“Kara.” Lena cut her off with a laugh. “I know what you meant. Thank you.”

 

“No problem, I’m kinda sad you guys won’t be coming though. I-..” Kara trailed off as though she was hesitant to finish her sentence before seemingly deciding to say it anyway. “I was looking forward to seeing you.”

 

“Yeah I know, I feel the same the way.” Lena agreed as she eyed Leni from her spot down the hall through the open double doors of the living room. She was struggling to focus on the movie, rolling around uncomfortably as she kicked off the covers that Lena had put on her, her little face screwing up in obvious discomfort. “Listen Kara, I’m really sorry but I think I have to go, Leni isn’t looking too good and we have to get ready for her doctors appointment.”

 

“Oh yeah sure it’s no problem don’t worry about it, I really hope she starts feeling better soon.”

 

“Yeah, me too. I’ll talk to you later, bye Kara.”

 

Lena hung up and pocketed her phone before heading back through to the living room and sitting down just beside Leni’s head. She immediately pulled herself up and climbed into Lena’s lap, still dressed in her pyjamas from the night before as she curled up and nuzzled into Lena’s chest once again.

 

“We’re gonna go see the doctor soon, okay babe?” Lena asked as she gently played with her hair, planting a kiss on her forehead as Leni nodded in reply. “I love you.”

 

“Love you too mommy.” she mumbled as she turned her focus back to the animated movie currently playing on the TV in front of them.

 

Leni was cranky when they eventually got up from their spot on the couch and headed upstairs to get dressed for the day. She curled up on her bed when Lena set her down and refused to move, leaving Lena to strip and redress her as though she were still a baby. Lena didn’t mind though, she loved taking care of her, although she wished they weren’t in this situation because Leni was sick.

 

Lena had opted for the easiest possible clothes to put on Leni, she was dressed in a pair of thick black leggings, to fight off the cold outside, paired with the first shirt that Lena had been able to grab and then she’d finally managed to wrestle her into a cute little pink hooded sweater.

 

Once Leni was dressed and ready to go, hair done and one of her comfort teddies in hand, Lena carried her back through to her own room to get herself ready. She set Leni on the bed before wresting each leg into a pair of her jeans and pulling a sweater on straight over her bra. She quickly ran a brush through her hair in an attempt to look a little more presentable before pulling it up into a rough messy bun and quickly brushing her teeth. Leni was still laying on the bed, clutching her little yellow stuffed bunny to her chest as her eyes lazily followed Lena’s movements.

 

“Come on babe, let’s go put your shoes on.” Lena held out a hand for Leni, but instead of taking it, she brought both hands up to clutch at her stomach as all of the color drained from her face. Lena recognized the symptoms immediately, the exact same thing happens to her just before she throws up, and she quickly rushed to get Leni down from her bed before running with her into the bathroom. Her heart broke as she comfortingly ran her hands up and down Leni’s back as she threw up into the toilet bowl. There was nothing to bring up, considering she hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast, but her body was trying anyway and Lena desperately wished she could take the burden of her pain away and carry it herself. She spoke soft reassurances to her as she eventually settled down, and shortly afterwards they were in the car heading to the doctor’s office, sick bowl in hand just in case Leni needed it again.

 

* * *

 

A little over an hour later, they were back in the car and heading for home. After a thorough check up, the doctor had diagnosed Leni with a stomach virus and gave a very concerned Lena plenty of tips and recommendations for managing it. She wanted to stop off at the store on the way home to grab some non essential things for Leni to maybe cheer her up a little, but she was already fussing in the back seat and Lena didn’t want to risk upsetting her stomach further by dragging her around a store knowing that she didn’t feel good.

 

They arrived home shortly afterwards and they headed inside. It was just a little past Leni’s usual lunchtime and she hadn’t eaten anything for the duration of the day which had Lena worried a little, but the doctor had insisted that it was alright as long as she stayed hydrated and got plenty of rest.

 

After grabbing a few pillows from upstairs, Lena set up a rather impressive makeshift bed on the couch in the living room for Leni to lay on. She filled up one of her water bottles in the kitchen before grabbing the thermometer and heading through to check her temperature once again. It was a lot higher than Lena would have liked and she gave Leni some of the medication that the doctor had recommended to manage her fever and help ease up the pain and discomfort in her stomach.

 

Leni refused to settle unless she was snuggled up with Lena, not that Lena minded, the thought of being able to offer Leni even a little bit of comfort was more than enough to have her heart overflowing with love and adoration for her precious little girl.

 

Lena kicked her shoes off and she settled, legs laying across the expanse of the couch as Leni relaxed on top of her, head resting on Lena’s chest as her little eyelids slowly fluttered closed. She drew mindless patterns on her back as she dozed off, not stopping until she was positive that Leni was asleep, before reaching over for the remote and changing the channel from one of Leni’s shows to one of her own. It was a repeat episode and she took comfort in the familiarity of it as Leni began to softly snore into the soft material of her sweatshirt.

 

She felt her phone buzz midway through the episode and skillfully extracted it from the front pocket of her jeans without waking the sleeping child perched on top of her. She felt a flutter in her chest as she realized it was a text message from Kara.

 

_Kara: Hey, we miss you guys! Hope everything is alright with Leni, everyone is sending her their well wishes. - K x_

__

There was a photo attached of the front of the building with a large sign indicating that it was the science museum and Lena smiled a little at the thought of Kara sending the message. It was sweet that she took the time out of her day to think of them. She quickly snapped a photo of Leni from above, her back and wild dark curls were the only thing visible from the angle, as well as Lena very clearly trapped beneath her, and she sent it to Kara along with a message in reply.

 

_Lena: My baby has a stomach bug :( but I know she misses you guys too, she was heartbroken to be missing out but she’ll be back in no time. Have fun -L x_

 

She locked her phone and set it aside before letting her attention fall back on the sitcom she had been watching. It was barely a minute later when she heard her phone buzz again and the screen lit up with a reply from Kara.

 

_Kara: If you feel up to it, you and I could go out for coffee or something when she’s feeling better? On me of course, you deserve a break from being super mom for the day. No pressure or anything though :) -K x_

__

Lena was glad that she was alone and that Leni was asleep so that no one was around to witness the ridiculous smile that spread across her face upon reading the message. The anxious fluttering in her chest was still there, and she knew she’d probably over analyze everything when she was laying in bed later that night, but for the time being she felt brave enough to swallow down her doubts and accept Kara’s invitation.

 

_Lena: Sure, I’d like that. I’ll text you about it when my little babe is doing better. -L x_

 

She spent the remainder of the day tending to Leni. When she wasn’t curled up on her chest sleeping, she was dry heaving into the sick bowl that Lena kept beside her or fussing in discomfort over the pain in her stomach. Lena kept on top of her painkillers, making sure to give her them at the right times to keep her as comfortable as possible. By dinner, Lena finally managed to convince her to try eating something, and Leni managed to eat and keep down a slice of toast with her favorite strawberry jelly spread on it.

 

Lena quickly bathed Leni and changed her into some fresh, clean pyjamas before bringing her into her own room to spend the night with her. She knew Leni would most likely be up and down throughout the duration of the night, and she thought it would be easier to keep her close instead of having to run up and down the hall all night long.

 

It was barely even 8pm when she tucked Leni in, but Lena was exhausted from tending to her all day and she snuggled up and relaxed into the warmth of her bed alongside her. She couldn’t fully settle though, her brain was constantly worried about Leni and making sure that she was alright. Every time she moved or so much as made a noise, Lena was immediacy up and ready to deal with whatever the issue was.

 

She called into work in the early hours of the morning just after Leni had thrown up again and let them know that she wouldn’t be able to make it in the next day. They both settled down and Lena switched off her alarm for the next morning, allowing them to sleep in for as long as they needed after the rough night that they’d had.

 

Leni seemed noticeably better the next morning and she eagerly tucked into the small breakfast that Lena had made for her. Her temperature was down too and Lena sighed in relief as she realized they’d gotten through the worst of it. Her baby was going to be just fine. Although, this whole parenting thing really was no joke.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *strums guitar* i love you bitches, i ain't gon never stop loving you bitches

 

 

Much to Lena’s relief, Leni was completely back to full health within a few days and was eagerly awaiting the day that she would be allowed to attend school again. After getting the all clear from their doctor, Lena excitedly told her that, after three whole entire days off, she could finally go back to class and see all of her friends again.

 

They were walking hand in hand along the school hallway early the next morning as Lena walked Leni to class. It suddenly hit her that this was the first time that she would physically be seeing Kara since they had spoken just before Leni got sick, and she tried to power through the memories of the way her tears had stained Kara’s shirt, the image that haunted her thoughts when she closed her eyes at night. God, she was still so embarrassed.

 

She helped Leni take off her coat and bag, making sure that they were hung securely on her hook before scooping her up and carrying her over so that she could put her own lunchbox in her cubby hole. They were the first two there, as usual, and Leni held firmly to Lena’s hand as she guided her into the classroom.

 

“Miss Danvers!” Leni called out with a smile as she saw her teacher writing, what Lena assumed were, the days activities on the chalkboard at the head of the class.

 

“Oh hello little miss Leni! It’s good to see you, are you feeling better?” Kara matched her enthusiasm as she replied.

 

“Mm hmm. Mommy taked care of me.” Leni replied proudly as she swung their still joint hands.

 

“She did?! What an awesome mommy you have!” Kara replied as she subtly flashed Lena a wink, smirking at the blush that painted her cheeks.

 

“Okay baby, come give me a hug and a kiss I gotta go.” Lena crouched down as Leni hopped into her arms and gave her a kiss before squeezing her extra tight.

 

Lena set her down and Leni immediately rushed over to play in the toy corner, clearly excited to be reacquainted with all of her favorites after missing out on a few days with them.

 

“Bye, have a good day.” She turned to Kara and spoke quietly, flashing her a soft smile before clicking her way back over to the door in her no nonsense work heels.

 

The sound of Kara clearing her throat stopped Lena before she stepped out into the hall, and she turned back around to see what was going on. Kara didn’t say anything, she simply jerked her head subtly in the direction of the board a few times before Lena’s eyes followed and understood what she was hinting at. She had to squint a little to make out the words neatly written in the bottom right corner of the board in Kara’s handwriting.

_Coffee tomorrow? I miss my lockdown buddy._

 

Lena had to suppress her laugh upon reading it, smiling at the somewhat impressive cartoon sad face that Kara had drawn alongside the message, and mouthed the words “I’ll text you” as she held up her phone, leaving only after she was sure Kara that had understood what she was saying.

 

She’s not sure if it was the sheer comedic genius in her or not, but she thought it would be highly amusing to unlock her phone and text Kara the second she was out of her line of sight. She began typing up her message as she clicked her way back down the large hallway of the building, hitting send just before she emerged out into the cool breeze blowing around the parking lot.

__

_Lena: I promised you a text. Coffee sounds great, just let me know when. -L x_

__

Her inner protective mama bear was actually relieved when Kara didn’t text back right away, her reply didn’t come until a few hours later, and as Lena checked the time on her watch she was happy to see that Kara had waited until her lunch break before checking her phone. At least she knew, if she didn’t already, that her baby girl was in good hands during the hours that she was away from her at school.

 

_Kara: Does tomorrow afternoon work for you? I know a place downtown, I could pick you up if you’re comfortable with that? It’s no bother if you would rather drive yourself though, I’ll just text you the address. -K x_

__

Lena replied almost immediately, wanting to make sure that Kara had the chance to read her reply before she had to put her phone away and head back to work.

 

_Lena: Sounds good. You can pick me up if you like, as long as you’re sure it’s not going to be any trouble. See you tomorrow. -L x_

__

She set her phone down and resumed the work that she had been doing before Kara had replied to her first message. She realized a little while later that she must have gotten overly engrossed in her work when she finally noticed that the unopened text that, according to her phone, was sent over an hour ago. She hadn’t even noticed it go off.

 

_Kara: It’s no problem at all, I’ll be by around 2. See you then. -K x_

__

Lena didn’t reply to that one, but she realized she ought to be finishing up soon if she was going to be on time to pick Leni up.

 

* * *

 

The following day, after Sam had stopped by to pick Leni up to save Lena the trip and had given her a ridiculously enthusiastic pep talk about her __‘_ date that is definitely not a date but actually is a date’_ with Kara, Lena headed upstairs to get ready and change into something a little more presentable.

 

She had spent the morning like most of her weekend mornings, dancing around the living room with Leni to the cheesiest songs imaginable and then playing whichever games her little mind came up with in that moment. She had gotten Leni dressed and ready for her day with Sam, but she herself was still in her sweats and desperately, as Leni had so kindly reminded her, needed to shower. She laughed audibly to herself as she headed down the large hallway into the bathroom, thinking of Leni’s words when they had eventually stopped their dance party and collapsed onto the couch for a much needed rest. “ _Eww you’re stinky, mommy.”_

She showered quickly and pulled out one of her nicer shirts to go with her faded, slightly less comfortable but a lot more presentable, high waisted jeans. She tucked her shirt into them and added a belt to finish the look off before heading into the bathroom to quickly fix her hair. She decided to wear it down, and straightened it as best she could before putting on a little makeup. Nothing over the top, but just a little something to help her feel a little more confident.

 

She was just finishing up putting on her shoes when she saw Kara’s car pull up in the driveway and she quickly grabbed her purse and phone, giving the place a once over to make sure that everything was in order and that she wasn’t forgetting anything, before stepping out and locking the front door behind her.

 

* * *

 

The place that Kara had insisted on picking out was a little out of the way. The drive took them almost an hour, but Kara had assured her that the coffee from this particular place was to die for, and to be perfectly honest, Lena really didn’t mind the drive. The radio played in the background for the duration of the ride, and Lena found comfort in the fact that it prevented any awkward silences when they paused between conversation topics.

 

They eventually pulled up just outside a quaint little cafe. There were a few little silver tables and chairs outside, although they were empty given the current temperature. Lena took a breath as the car pulled to a stop and Kara unbuckled her seat belt, turning the radio off before opening the car door and stepping out. Lena was feeling a little anxious about being so far away from Leni, but in the back of her mind she knew it was just an excuse for her to be worrying. She shook it off and decided to just go with it and see where the day took her.

 

“I found this place when I was out getting to know the area when I first moved here.” Kara told her as she rounded the car and joined Lena on the sidewalk.

 

“This is hardly the area we live in.” Lena gestured around to the very clearly _not_  city that they were currently in, and laughed as they began walking.

 

“Okay, so.. maybe I got very lost trying to find my way back to my apartment and somehow ended up here.” Kara admitted with a blush. “But I stand by my statement, the coffee is _incredible _.__ ”

 

“Whatever you say.” Lena rolled her eyes playfully as they stepped inside.

 

Once they had placed their orders and found a suitable table to sit at, Lena found herself fidgeting. It was a bad habit that she had picked up in exchange for giving up her anxious nail biting, and it annoyed her to no end but she couldn’t seem to stop.

 

“Are you alright?” Kara asked softly, seemingly having noticed the change in Lena over the past few minutes.

 

“Yeah, yes I’m fine. Sorry. I’m just a little anxious I guess.” she admitted.

 

“Oh, please don’t be sorry.” Kara told her sincerely, warm blue eyes gazing intently into hers as she listened. “Let’s talk about something to take your mind off of it. Maybe you could tell me about Leni? She always seems to be your anchor.” she smiled.

 

“Yeah she is.” Lena matched her smile as she thought about her little girl. “I’m not sure what to say though, is there anything you want to know?”

 

“Oh, uh, I’m not sure.” Kara laughed. “You don’t have to tell me anything specific, you can just talk if you want to.”

 

Lena thought things over for a second, and came to the conclusion that it was best to start from the beginning.

 

“Well, uh.. Okay. Alright.” she got her thoughts in order before she started to talk. “Well, I was told a few years ago that there was a chance I wouldn’t ever be able to have kids, and that the slim chance that I did have would grow even slimmer the more time that passed. I guess I had always seen myself as wanting to be a mom, and hearing that I might not be able to have that in my life frightened me to no end. It wasn’t something I had ever put much thought into, I had just always assumed that I’d find the right person, settle down and then we’d have kids, you know?”

 

“Very traditional.” Kara arched her eyebrow as she teased kindheartedly while Lena breathed a laugh. “Go on.”

 

“Anyway, I decided that I didn’t want to risk waiting, so I weighed my options and a donor seemed like the best route for me personally, so I just went for it, and now I guess here we are.” she laughed as she finished up and took a sip of the coffee that had arrived while she had been speaking.

 

“That’s-.. That’s really amazing, Lena.” Kara complimented sincerely. “I’m so happy it all worked out for you, you really are an awesome mom and Leni is super lucky to have you.”

 

“Thank you.” Lena brought her drink up to her face once again, sipping at it in a poor attempt to hide the blush that had formed on her cheeks. It wasn’t the first time that she had heard that compliment, it wasn’t even the first time that she had heard it from Kara, but it still meant an awful lot to her. “I don’t think I could do any of this without Sam though, she’s been my rock for the past few years.”

 

“That’s kind of like Alex for me.” Kara told her as she held her coffee mug with both hands, taking comfort in the warmth that radiated from it. “I know it’s not the same situation at all, I obviously don’t have any kids, but I know what you mean with the whole rock thing. It’s good to have someone you know that you can rely on.”

 

“Yeah it definitely is.” Lena agreed. “Have you ever thought about it? Having kids, I mean.” she clarified upon seeing Kara’s slightly confused expression.

 

“Oh.. Yeah, I have. I’d love to have kids some day, hopefully find the right person and settle down with maybe a dog or two.” she finished with a smile as their eyes met across the table.

 

The moment was charged, Lena could feel it in the very tips of her fingers, but she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from the hypnotizing blue of Kara’s eyes. They stared for a few moments longer, seemingly frozen in place before Lena snapped out of it and cleared her throat as she cast her glace down to the table.

 

It was already beginning to get dark outside when they finished up, the early winter nights were most definitely on the way as they exited the warmth of the little cafe. There was music drifting up from an unknown location down the narrow paths of the street and each of their eyes glanced in the direction of it.

 

“You wanna take a walk?” Kara asked after she noticed Lena looking down the street. “Unless you have to be home for a certain time or something.”

 

“Oh, no I don’t. I’m free for as long as you’ll have me.” Lena laughed, smiling as they took off walking in the direction of the music.

 

The closer they got to the source of the music, the more different sounds they heard. There was loud laughter and the music didn’t seem to be one specific song, but rather a combination of a variety of different tunes and such. They quickly saw what was going on when they approached the end of the street and emerged out into a large clearing.

 

“Oh Lena look! The carnival is in town!” Kara’s eyes lit up excitedly as she took in the large colorful tents and rides with multicolored lights flashing everywhere as people laughed and screamed in joy.

 

“You wanna go?” Lena asked with a laugh at the sheer shameless childlike wonder on Kara’s face.

 

“Can we?” she almost yelled in her direction, unable to contain herself.

 

Lena nodded before opening her mouth to let Kara know that yes, they could go to the carnival, but before she had the chance, Kara’s hand was in hers, happily running in the direction of the entrance as she dragged Lena along behind her. She could see the puffs of their breath, illuminated by the lights from the carnival, in front of them in the cold air as they ran, but with Kara’s hand warm and secure in her own, that was enough to draw Lena’s attention away from the cold. She was breathless when they finally pulled to a stop at the entrance and she fought to catch her breath as they entered.

 

The smell of fried foods and cotton candy filled her senses as they walked, it smelled like heaven and Lena craned her neck in every direction, eager to take in as much as she possibly could whilst Kara did the exact same next to her. Their hands were still linked between them, but neither of them said anything about it as they each held on to the other and continued to explore.

 

There was a a large roller coaster up ahead of them and the air filled with the distant sound of joyful shrieks of the passengers as it hit a loop and spun the group of riders upside down before leveling out and shooting along the track while Kara and Lena watched intently from below. It pulled to a stop a few minutes later, and a group of slightly flushed people climbed down from the steps and broke away in their own directions to explore the rest of the carnival.

 

“Come on.” Lena felt another tug on her hand and blindly ran after Kara as she dragged her towards the ride they had just watched.

 

“Kara! Are you insane?!” she called after her once she realized the direction they were heading in, but didn’t let go of her hand or stop running.

 

“Maybe! But it’ll be fun!” Kara laughed as they stopped at the little box beside the ride to pay. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to though.” she turned to her before paying, unsure if Lena was just nervous or if she genuinely didn’t want to go on the ride.

 

A curious smile tugged at Lena’s lips before she took a breath, seemingly making her mind up, before she slammed a ten dollar bill down the table.

 

“Let’s do it.” she beamed at Kara before dragging her towards the ride this time.

 

She was doing fine until they took their seats at the front of the ride and the bars were locked down over her shoulders as they waited for the rest of the cart to fill up. The panic struck and she suddenly regretted her decision to get on.

 

“Kara..” her voice was laced with panic and Kara seemed to notice immediately.

 

“Hey, it’s alright.” she leaned forward to study her face. Lena allowed the warmth that seemingly poured out of the baby blue eyes to comfort her as Kara’s hand found hers once again. “You can do this. It’ll all be fine. You can do this.”

 

Lena isn’t sure if she was imagining it, but the words seemed a lot heavier than just talking about a silly roller coaster ride. The way Kara looked so intently at her as she said them. _You can do this._ She didn’t reply, she simply gripped Kara’s hand a little tighter in her own and smiled reassuringly at her as she nodded.

 

The cart filled up quickly and before they knew it, the ride was moving. Lena could feel the adrenaline pumping through her as she listened to the constant click of the tracks as the cart climbed the steep slope at a steady pace. When it emerged at the top, the view was spectacular. They could see for miles in almost every direction. The sun had fully set by now and the moon shone brightly above them as the lights from the carnival twinkled faintly in the space below them. They didn’t have much time to enjoy it though, and before either of them had the chance to take it fully in, the cart slowly rose over the peak,and before they even had the chance to take a breath, they were plummeting down the slope at full speed. Lena’s scream was lost in her throat and she held onto Kara’s hand like a lifeline as they shot around the track, wind ridiculously blowing her hair in every direction. She vaguely registered being upside down, it all happened so quickly that she couldn’t really pay attention to anything other than the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the feeling of Kara’s tight grip, warm and constant in her own.

 

They were both equally flushed and breathless as the ride pulled to a stop and they clambered out when the bars were released before heading down the steps and finally touching the ground again.

 

“That was.. _amazing!”_ Lena rushed out as she breathed a laugh.

 

“It really was!” Kara matched her amazement as they took off walking around once again.

 

Kara spotted a cotton candy stand on the left and they immediately headed over. Lena watched intently as the vendor spun them each a huge thick pink fluffy cloud of it around a little wooden stick. It seemingly appeared out of nowhere and it was fascinating watching the sugar be spun into large pink cloud currently in her hand. She insisted on paying for it, much to Kara’s protest, before they walked around some more, taking in as much as they could as they happily ate their cotton candy.

 

“You know, I feel kinda guilty coming here without Leni.” Lena admitted as she picked at the sugary treat with her fingers, peeling a bit off and bringing it up to her mouth. “I love her with every part of me, but it’s so __so__  amazing to get a little break sometimes.”

 

“It’s not something to feel guilty about, you deserve a break.” Kara told her as she picked at her own stick of cotton candy. “You do everything on your own, it’s not bad to take a little time out for yourself every now and then.”

 

“I suppose you’re right.” Lena nodded as she thought about it. Her eyes fell on the little cluster of claw machines set up back to back, there were maybe a dozen and she began walking in the direction of them. “Come on, I wanna win something for her to take home.”

 

They made their way over to the machines and Lena immediately pulled out all of her change from her purse before sliding a few coins into the machine as it sprung to life. Kara watched as Lena skillfully extracted an adorable little stuffed penguin on her first attempt.

 

“Woah, that was impressive.” Kara laughed as Lena claimed her prize from the little hole in the bottom. “Who knew you were so good at that.”

 

“I’m good at a lot of things.” Lena said in what may or may not have been an intentionally flirtatious tone, as she licked a stray piece of sugar from her lip and completely missed the way Kara almost choked on thin air. “Come on, which one do you want?” she gestured to the different machines with a variety of different stuffed animals inside. “I’ll win one for you too.”

 

“Oh, uh, surprise me.” Kara smiled.

 

She cheered as Lena skillfully extracted a cute little stuffed dog with adorably large eyes from the pile and watched intently as the claw carried it all the way over before dropping it down the little hole where Lena collected it from.

 

“Here, now you have one of the two dogs that you wanted.” she teased playfully as Kara thanked her with an overly happy smile.

 

They stayed for as long as they could, they rode the teacups and the bumper cars, and Kara even somehow managed to convince Lena to ride the ferris wheel with her. It was ridiculously cold at the top and the freezing metal of the seats did nothing to help. They huddled up, bodies pressed together to keep warm as they took in the view from the top. It was much the same as the one from the roller coaster, but they had a significantly longer amount of time to enjoy it on the ferris wheel.

 

“Don’t even think about it.” Lena warned as she saw Kara eyeing the little metal circle in the center of the cart that would spin their little cage around in circles.

 

“You’re no fun.” Kara teased as she nudged Lena ever so slightly.

 

“Yes well I’d like to return home to my child in one piece.” she laughed, slightly spooked by the distance between them and the ground beneath them.

 

By the time they touched down on the solid floor again, they were both shivering and headed over to one of the food trucks to grab a cheap cup of coffee. It tasted disgusting, and if the almost pained expression on Kara’s face was any indication, she thought so too. They resigned to just clutching the little white styrofoam cups in their hands, allowing the heat of the coffee to seep out and warm their freezing fingers as they walked.

 

The coffee had cooled off by the time that they had make it a little under halfway to the car, and Lena had absolutely no intention of drinking it as tossed hers into a nearby trashcan so that she wouldn’t have to pointlessly carry it around anymore. After making sure that she had gotten as much of the heat as possible from it, Kara tossed hers too and Lena mindlessly reached out for her hand as she took a few steps forward.

 

She hadn’t realized what she had done until Kara’s body stayed firmly where it was, her hand down by her side, and Lena immediately pulled hers away so that it wasn’t hovering awkwardly between them anymore. It struck her hard that she had even done it in the first place, without even thinking about it. It was as though her body had just naturally reached for Kara, wanted her closer, and she wasn’t sure what to do with that information, let alone the fact that Kara had rejected the offer to take her hand.

 

Kara must have noticed the different expressions that flashed across her face as she tried to process everything in an impressively short period of time. Lena was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely even noticed the sinfully pleasant warmth of Kara’s hands cupping her face, until Kara’s voice pulled her out of her downward spiral of anxiety.

 

“Lena..” Kara’s voice sounded a little deeper, rougher than it normally did. “Can I kiss you?” she didn’t hesitate, she didn’t stutter as she spoke. She asked confidently and clearly as she stared at Lena.

 

It was the sky meeting the ocean, green melting into blue as Lena stared into Kara’s eyes. While she was sure her own face portrayed hesitation and uncertainty, Kara’s was beaming with hope and adoration and every part of Lena was leaning into it, drawn towards the gravitational pull and she found herself unable to speak. She nodded her head ever so slightly and Kara began to move closer, warm, soft hands still cradling Lena’s face as she moved in.

 

Kara continued moving towards her until their foreheads were touching before stopping, frozen in place as she let Lena come to her. She didn’t want to pressure her. She wanted Lena to do it because she wanted to, so she simply waited, breaths mixing in front of them in the form of a little white cloud.

 

Lena felt her breathing pick up as she zoned in on Kara and their points on contact. She could feel her breath ghosting her lips, forehead and hands warm on her face. She hesitantly brought her hands up to hold onto Kara’s waist before she replayed Kara’s earlier words to herself. _You can do this._

__

She leaned in tentatively at first, lips brushing Kara’s gently before she found her footing. It had been a long time since she had kissed anyone, not since she had gotten pregnant with Leni almost four years ago, but she quickly found her footing and grew gradually more confident as Kara moved her lips against Lena’s. For the first time in a really long time, Lena’s head was completely empty, free from he worry and anxious thoughts that usually overcame her. All she could feel was the soft, soft gentle pressure of Kara’s lips on her own.

 

She pulled away after a few moments, cheeks tinted pink as she smiled. Kara didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much too soon, so they simply linked hands once again and made their way back to the welcomed warmth of Kara’s car.

 

Although, as they approached their escape from the painfully low temperatures that had been getting to them all night, not one part single part of Lena currently felt cold.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn't bring myself to read over this (you'll find out why soon enough) so just like, ignore any of the mistakes we'll pretend they're not there

 

 

“Hey, I got you something today.” Lena brushed a stray curl from Leni’s forehead as she sat on the edge of her bed later that night.

 

“Really? What is it?” her little eyes lit up, despite the fact that she was currently fighting to keep them open after her super fun day with her favorite aunt Sammy.

 

“Mm hmm I did.” Lena nodded before pulling the little stuffed penguin that she had won from the claw machine earlier that day out from behind her back. “I won this for you when I was out earlier.”

 

Leni beamed an adorable little toothy smile as her little hands popped up from beneath the covers to take the penguin from her mom. She immediately hugged it to her chest before climbing up out of the bed with a cheeky grin and diving over onto Lena.

 

She caught her off guard, and Lena dove backwards out of instinct to avoid the incoming attack, falling off of the bed and breaking Leni’s fall with her own body as they hit the carpeted floor beneath them. Leni landed right on top of her and broke into a fit of giggles as Lena sat up and began tickling her.

 

“You.. little.. monkey!” she growled as Leni continued to laugh. “Come on.” she stood up, scooping Leni up with her as she playfully tossed her back onto the bed.

 

Leni scrambled over her covers before making it to the top of the bed and wriggling back beneath the layers of blankets that she insisted on sleeping with.

 

“Thanks mommy.” she clutched her new stuffed penguin to her chest happily.

 

“You’re very welcome.” Lena said as she began tucking her in and sitting down on the side of the bed once again. “Have you thought about a name?”

 

“Mhm.” Leni nodded confidently. “Penny.”

 

“Penny the penguin.” Lena mused. “I love it, it’s perfect.”

 

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and Leni smiled as she snapped a quick pic of her laying there, all snuggled up in her little pink nightgown, with her new favorite stuffed animal. The picture came out adorable, Leni’s wildly untamed dark curls were sprawled out all over the pillow around her as she beamed happily into the camera and Lena quickly showed it to her for her approval before putting her phone back into her pocket.

 

“Goodnight munchkin, sleep tight, I love you.” Lena leaned to give her a kiss before pulling back and planting one on her forehead too.

 

“Night night mommy, love you.”

 

Lena switched on her nightlight in the corner before heading to the door and turning the big light off on the way. She pulled the door halfway closed before padding down the hall and heading downstairs.

 

She went straight to the kitchen, pulling out two mugs from the cabinet and dropping a teabag into each of them before flicking the switch on the kettle and waiting for the water to boil. It only took her a few minutes to make the tea, adding the desired amount of milk and sugar before she quickly cleaned up the little mess that she had made. She grabbed the mugs in each hand, careful not to burn herself as she headed back down the hallway, past the front door and into the large living area where Sam was sitting mindlessly flicking through the channels on the TV.

 

“Ohh thank you.” she dropped the remote and turned to Lena, gratefully taking the mug from her as she pulled her legs up onto the couch and crossed them.

 

It took Lena a few moments to notice Sam blatantly staring at her, her whole body was positioned away from the TV and facing in Lena’s direction as she brought the mug up to her lips to take a sip of the tea that Lena had just made for her.

 

“Uh can I help you?” Lena raised her eyebrow questioningly. “You can take a picture if you’d like, it would last a lot longer.”

 

“Come on.” Sam wriggled around excitedly. “Spill.”

 

“Wha-.. I don’t.. What are you talking about?” Lena spluttered defensively.

 

“You know _exactly_  what I’m talking about, don’t play dumb.” Sam continued to stare right through her. “You’ve been oddly.. I don’t know.. just odd ever since I dropped the kid off. So, spill. How was your _not date_  with Kara earlier?”

 

Lena rolled her eyes, clutching her own cup a little closer and getting comfortable on the couch as soon as she realized that she wasn’t getting out of this one without spilling everything to Sam first.

 

“It was fine-.. Good, even. I actually had fun, we went to this cute little coffee place that she found a while ago and we talked a little, it was kinda nice.”

 

“And everything was okay? Were you alright?” Sam asked genuinely as she sipped at her tea.

 

“I-.. Yeah, yeah I think so. I was a little anxious at first, but it all worked out.” she nodded hesitantly, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or Sam more. “We took a walk after and ended up at a carnival which was actually surprisingly fun, I won Leni this adorable little penguin. It was so cute, she loves it. We rode a few rides and got cotton candy, god I forgot how good that stuff tasted. And-.. and we sorta.. I-.. we kinda kissed.”she breathed out quickly at the end.

 

She could tell Sam was aching to let out a squeal, or jump up and down or do _something_ but she knew Leni was asleep upstairs and stopped herself from doing so.

 

“A- are you okay with that?” she checked in with Lena after the initial shock had passed, knowing fine well that the last time it happened Lena hadn’t exactly been in the best place afterwards.

 

“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just..” she waved her hand around in the air. “It’s a lot, it’s overwhelming, but when I’m with her it doesn’t feel that way, you know? It’s not until I’m alone with my thoughts that it starts to get to be too much. I don’t know.. I just-.. It’s a lot.”

 

“I get that.” Sam nodded before hooking an arm around Lena’s shoulders and pulling her into a hug, careful not to spill her drink as she went. “But I’m so proud of you, you went way out of your comfort zone and you’re still standing. You don’t have to do anything rash, you just take it one day at a time. Step by step.” she squeezed her a little tighter.

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Lena rested her head on Sam’s shoulder and the conversation switched to random topics as they finished off their drinks.

 

Sam left for home a little while later, but not before Lena thanked her for taking care of Leni and sent her on her way with a few donuts for both herself and Ruby from the box that she had picked up on the way home with Kara earlier.

 

It wasn’t overly late, but she was both emotionally and physically exhausted from the events of the day and Lena immediately locked up the house and made sure that everything was switched off before padding up the stairs and down the hall into her room.

 

She stripped off her clothes from the day and pulled one of her favorite sleep shirts on over her head before grabbing her phone from the pocket of her jeans currently laying in a heap on the floor where she had abandoned them and then climbed into bed.

 

The relief that washed over her as she settled beneath the comforting softness of the sheets was instantaneous. There was nothing quite like sinking into bed after an emotionally taxing day, and Lena basked in the feeling of it.

 

Her phone buzzed with a text while she was setting her alarm for the next morning, and she quickly double checked that it was indeed turned on before closing the app and opening up her messages. She felt her stomach flutter upon seeing Kara’s name and eagerly clicked the unread text.

 

_Kara: I found the perfect spot for him. Thanks again, I really had a lot of fun. Sleep tight. -K x_

__

There was a photo attached of the little stuffed dog that Lena had won for Kara earlier in the evening perched on what Lena recognized as Kara’s bed from the night that she’d had to bring a highly intoxicated Kara back home from the bar. She spent a few moments looking over the photo before typing up her reply.

 

_Lena: Say hello to Penny the Penguin, I had fun too. Goodnight, sleep well. - L x_

__

She sent the message off alongside the photo of Leni and her new penguin that she had taken earlier that evening before setting her phone on her nightstand and replacing it with the novel that she was currently reading. She easily located the page that she had left off from and lost herself in the next few chapters of the book.

 

Lena was fighting to keep her eyes open as she flicked the next page and continued reading. The exhaustion was quickly overtaking her but she refused to stop reading mid chapter so she powered through until she reached the end. Both a little relieved about being able to sleep and a little disappointed about having to stop reading. She stuck her bookmark back in place before closing the book and leaning over to switch off the lamp on her nightstand.

 

Lena let out a little contented sight as she settled down in the comforting warmth of her sheets and quickly drifted off to sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure about this?” Kara’s warm breath ghosted her lips as she panted above her, cheeks flushed red and pupils blown wide.

 

Lena couldn’t think, she couldn’t focus on anything other than the sinfully good pressure of Kara’s body on top of her, the way her strong thighs bracketed her hips so perfectly. It was maddening. Golden locks of hair curtained their faces, closing them off from the rest of the world as they got lost in one another. Her body was screaming out, desperate for more and for once, she allowed herself to oblige, reaching up to join her lips to Kara’s once again.

 

The kiss was sloppy and messy and wet, their lips noisily moved together and Lena’s hands found their way into Kara’s hair as she gently pulled her down, desperate to have her closer. She needed _more _.__ Neither one of them could get enough, their tongues fought for dominance and the heat coiling in her stomach was getting to be unbearable as she arched her hips up in search of absolutely anything. Anything that would help alleviate the pressure currently skyrocketing between her legs.

 

“Kara.. Kara, _please _.”__ shebegged shamelessly as Kara’s mouth slipped from hers and began trailing kisses down her jaw, stopping briefly at the shell of her ear to whisper hotly into it in reply.

 

“Be patient.” Kara husked, her breath tickled the side of her neck and Lena squirmed a little as Kara continued her painfully slow path downwards.

 

They were half dressed, random items of hastily torn off clothing were scattered all around Lena’s bedroom floor. Lena had been unable to get out of her shirt before she’d been pinned down beneath Kara, her underwear was the only barrier between her throbbing heat and Kara’s hips, but she couldn’t quite reach as she continuously arched her back in search of a little relief. Just _something_  to take the edge off of the pressure currently throbbing between her thighs. Kara was shirtless, but Lena couldn’t wait to take her bra off, so she had simply pushed it up far enough to free her breasts before enveloping them in the warmth of her mouth.

 

Kara was moving agonizingly slow, her hands were warm and secure as they slipped under Lena’s shirt and gently ran a path repeatedly up and down from her hips to just below her breasts and back. She wasn’t giving her anything, not even a little relief and Lena was slowly losing her mind. She needed to be touched, like, yesterday and she was almost fully convinced that if Kara kept up the teasing, she would come without her even touching her.

 

She’d never been so worked up in her life, it had never felt like this, ever. She could feel everything, every touch was heightened and oh god yes, Kara was _finally_ moving down a little faster. Lena eagerly spread her legs to accommodate her as Kara settled between them.

 

She looked down and.. _oh _.__

 

The sight of a very disheveled Kara Danvers smirking up at her from between her legs was a sight that she could get used to very quickly. She could feel sapphire eyes hungrily drinking her in and she needed to feel her. She needed Kara to touch her, to do something. To do _anything _.__

 

She tried to beg, but she was too worked up to function properly. A high pitched keening sound escaped her when she opened her mouth and she arched her hips up once again in the direction of Kara’s face, desperately praying that she would take the hint and _touch her for christ’s sake._

 

Finally, _finally_ Kara’s strong fingers hooked into the waistband of her underwear and began pulling them down. She was so relieved that she couldn’t even find it in herself to be embarrassed about the extra tug that Kara had to give to unstick them from her center. She didn’t even pull them all the way down before diving back up, leaving Lena to kick them off of her ankles once they were low enough. The little piece of black lace flew somewhere across the room to join the rest of their abandoned clothes and Lena was about to get what she’d been dying for. She could feel it.

 

“Oh, you’re all worked up.” Kara’s voice was laced with arousal as she hungrily took in the sight of Lena. All of her, spread open like a meal she was about to devour.

 

Lena was a complete mess, she didn’t need Kara to tell her that she was worked up, she was perfectly aware of that. Her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth and she desperately fisted the sheets as she let out a whimper in reply. Her eyes clenched shut the moment she saw Kara moving in, tongue darting out cheekily as she got closer and closer to Lena’s aching heat. Finally, she was _finally_  about to get what her body had been screaming out for ever since she had been pinned down onto the bed beneath the surprisingly strong blonde.

 

The relief that she had been so desperately aching for never came, and Lena jerked her eyes open with a start. She was alone in the complete darkness of her room, the material of her sleep shirt was stuck to her sweat soaked skin as she panted heavily, trying to make sense of everything in her sleepy daze.

 

According to the clock on her nightstand, it was a little past 3am and she fought desperately to get her breathing under control but the dream was seemingly imprinted on her mind. It was so very _graphic_  and _real_ and she was painfully aware of the slick between her thighs currently demanding attention. She clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle any sounds that might escape her as she slipped her hand down beneath the waistband of her underwear and fell apart almost immediately.

 

Without the overwhelming arousal clogging up her brain, Lena’s mind was able to think rationally about everything and she began to panic. Oh god. She really just had a sex dream about Kara Danvers and then got herself off to it. A really, really good sex dream. One of the best she had ever had. Boy, was she screwed. How was she ever going to be able to face her? She would never be able to look the woman in the eyes again.

 

* * *

 

In the light of day, the whole dream incident didn’t seem anywhere near as extreme as it had while Lena was half asleep and panicking in the middle of the night. She had dropped Leni off at school that morning without any problems, and despite what she had spent the duration of the night telling herself, she actually _was_ able to look Kara in the eyes. She hadn’t actually spoken to Kara that morning, just flashed her a smile across the room and received a matching one in return, although she would be lying if she said that seeing her didn’t bring up a few emotions deep down inside of her, but that was a ‘natural part of life and whatnot and blah blah blah’, she had reminded herself as she drove out of the school parking lot earlier that morning.

 

It was something that she could most definitely handle on her own for now, she was positive that she did _not_  need Sam’s input on this particular occasion, although she’s sure that she would be more than happy to tease her mercilessly about it if she was given the opportunity. Lena prayed that tonight would provide her with a good old fashioned monster under the bed nightmare, or maybe something nice involving the beach. She liked the beach.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this took a little longer than usual, i had family in town visiting and i struggled a little with this chapter
> 
> i haven't checked for any mistakes or anything (*pretends to be shocked*) so u know the drill, just ignore them

 

Lena had been beyond swamped at work for the past week. L-Corp were in the middle of trying to close a huge deal with potential new investors in Japan and Lena didn’t trust anyone but herself and her carefully selected team to get the job done. Unfortunately, that meant early mornings and late nights in her office trying to get through everything before the deadline. She hadn’t been sleeping for maybe more than four or five hours at night and she had barely seen Leni at all.

 

Lena would drop her off at daycare for a few hours in the morning before she was taken to school and then Sam would pick her up afterwards. With Lena not being able to get away from the office until late, Leni was always asleep when she finally got to Sam’s house to pick her up in the evenings, and by the time Friday rolled around, Lena was thoroughly feeling like the worst mother on the whole entire planet.

 

She had almost hit her breaking point earlier that morning when it looked like the deal might not end up being sealed, but they had worked tirelessly to resolve the issue throughout the rest of the morning and into the late afternoon. Thankfully, by the time dinner time rolled around, the deal was complete and Lena had almost hit the floor and sobbed with relief. She had a bottle of champagne ready to celebrate with her team, a reward for all of the time and hard work that they had poured into it this past week, but by the time she was done and everything was packed away, her feet were aching and her clothes were beyond uncomfortable after having been in them for almost 14 hours straight. All she wanted was to go home and catch up on the sleep that she had missed out on throughout the week.

 

Sam had called earlier and somehow convinced Lena to head straight home from work to get some rest, promising to bring Leni over the second she wakes up in the morning. Lena wasn’t too keen on the idea at first, she desperately missed her baby and wanted to spend time with her, but she knew it made more sense to let her rest at Sam’s house rather than drag her up yet again and drive all the way home.

 

Lena left the office after handing off the bottle of ridiculously expensive champagne to her team and telling them to have a good night. It was already dark out, the early winter nights had more than arrived and she turned the heat up full the moment she slid into the drivers seat of the car.

 

She half debated just going to Sam’s place and picking Leni up anyway, but she knew that she would be sleeping, and a tired, cranky, fussy Leni is not something that Lena feels like being responsible for right now. She considered just driving over and spending the night with her too so that she wouldn’t have to wake her, but Lena didn’t want to impose even more on Sam, so she decided she would head home and get an early night. That way, she could wake up early the next morning and have the whole day with her baby. She did promise her a trip to the science museum after all.

 

* * *

 

Lena was halfway through her shower, hair soaped up and thoroughly enjoying the welcomed warmth of the hot water relaxing her achingly tight muscles after the painfully long week that she’d had, when her music stopped playing and her ringtone began sounding loudly throughout the bathroom.

 

Her thoughts went immediately to Leni and she quickly dove out of the shower, slip sliding across the floor and praying that everything was alright as she fumbled for her phone. The air was cool without the warmth of the water to keep her warm and goosebumps erupted all over her body as she shivered slightly in the cold. Soap was dripping from her hair and she was completely naked as she eyed the screen and felt relief wash over her as she took in the name currently flashing across the screen.

 

_Kara _._ _

__

It wasn’t Sam. Leni was okay. Lena sighed in relief before grabbing her towel from the rack and quickly wrapping it around herself as she hit the answer button and put her phone on loud speaker to prevent it from getting soaked by her hair.

 

“Hello?” She spoke a little louder than usual down to the screen to make sure that Kara would be able to hear over the sound of the water running loudly in the background.

 

“Hey how are you?” Kara asked happily as Lena tightly wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to fight off the cold.

 

“Not bad, it’s been a long week. I’m happy it’s finally over.” she breathed a laugh. “What about you?”

__

“Yeah, yeah I’m good. I was actually, uh.. I was just about to order a pizza or something for dinner and I know you’ve been working late so you probably haven’t eaten a real meal for like week.. I know it’s getting kinda late but I was thinking maybe we could go grab a bite to eat? I can pick you up, or meet you there, whichever works for you?” Kara let out an exhale as she finally finished talking.

 

“Kara I-.. I appreciate the offer, I really do but honestly I’m exhausted and all I’ve been thinking about all week is collapsing on the couch with a bottle of wine and watching a movie that _isn’t_ an animated kids musical of some sort.” she laughed. “If-.. If you want, maybe you could come over? I could order food to be here when you arrive?” Lena offered up.

 

“Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah I’d like that a lot.” Kara’s smile was all but audible through the phone.

 

“Okay, cool. I just need to finish up showering but you can come by any time.”

 

“That’s fine, I’ll see you soon.”

 

“See you soon, bye.”

 

* * *

 

Lena was just finishing up tidying away her hair dryer and products when she heard a knock at the door and rushed downstairs to answer it. She was dressed in her favorite gray sweatpants, her socks were multicolored and mismatched and she had an overly large fluffy blanket wrapped around her like a cape, trailing on the floor behind her as she walked.

 

She swung open the door to be greeted with the sight of a stack of bags and a pair of long legs.

 

“Kara?” she laughed as she spotted the barely visible blonde hair poking out from behind whatever she had brought with her.

 

Lena stepped aside to give her enough space to enter the house before she took a few of the bags from the pile that was stacked up against Kara and her face immediately came into view.

 

“Hey.” she puffed, slightly out of breath as she kicked off her shoes in the hallway and followed Lena through to the kitchen. “I may have gotten a little carried away with the movie snacks, but in my defense, I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

 

“Kara! This is all just candy?!” Lena exclaimed as she eyed the bags that had now been deposited onto the kitchen island.

 

“Well, no. There’s candy, chocolates, a few bags of chips, a couple of different cartons of ice cream because I wasn’t sure which flavor you like, oh and popcorn of course. Sweet, salted and plain.”

 

“Oh my god.” Lena laughed. “This must have cost you a fortune! At least let me pay you back for it?”

 

“Nope.” Kara shook her head with a smile. “It’s on me, my treat.”

 

“Well, thank you. This was really kind of you.” Lena relented, fully intending on slipping a few twenties into Kara’s purse with a thank you note later on when she wasn’t looking.

 

The sound of the door knocking again pulled Lena’s attention away from the heart attack that Kara was currently unloading on her kitchen counter and she left her alone to go get their pizzas from the delivery man outside.

 

They headed through to the living room where they deposited everything onto the large coffee table in the center of the room and Lena laughed as she took in the sight. There were two ridiculously large pizza boxes, every form of candy imaginable, bowls of ice cream, sodas, and chips strewn around the table. She switched all of the lights off and the room was plunged into darkness, the faint glow of the massive television on the wall casting __just__ enough light for them to be able to see the snacks on the table.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much junk food in my entire life.” she told Kara as she settled down on the couch with a slice of pizza on her plate.

 

“There’s not one part of me that’s surprised by that information.” Kara teased playfully. “Anyone who thinks about ordering a salad at a pizza place most likely doesn’t binge eat an entire tub of Ben and Jerry’s on a nightly basis.”

 

Lena laughed in reply, inwardly shocked at how much food Kara seemed to be putting away whilst still looking the way she did. She was dressed in a well fitted pair of blue jeans paired with a tight white short sleeved t-shirt and Lena could all but __see__ her abs through the thin material of it. She handed the remote over to Kara to let her select the movie for the night. She rarely had the chance to watch non animated movies so she was more than happy to settle for whatever Kara wanted to watch.

 

“Oh god no please don’t do this to me.” she buried her face in her hands when Kara settled on a movie and the titled flashed across the screen in large bright red letters.

 

_Insidious._

 

“Oh come on.” Kara paused it before turning to face her. “It’s one of the best scary movies to ever exist Lena, it’s a masterpiece.”

 

“I watched the second one a while ago and it scared the crap out of me.” she admitted with a laugh as she took a bite of her pizza. “I haven’t seen the first one though.”

 

“You-.. You watched them out of order?! Oh my god now we absolutely have to watch this one.” Kara exclaimed. “Did the movie even make sense when you watched it?”

 

“Not really.” Lena laughed. “Although, I didn’t watch it so much as I hid behind my hands and peeked through my fingers every few minutes.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Kara winked cheekily before checking that Lena was actually okay about watching it, and then hitting play.

 

As the picture on the screen slowly grew darker and the unsettling music began edging it’s way in, Lena found herself gravitating towards Kara. Her blanket, still wrapped around her like a cape, had long been pulled up over her eyes and Kara laughed heartily each time she jumped.

 

“Come on, you’re missing the whole thing.” Kara reached over to pause the movie before turning to face a still hidden Lena. “We can watch something else if you really don’t like it, I don’t mind.”

 

“No! No, I do. I’m sorry.” Lena slowly lowered the blanket from around her face and tucked her arms inside it instead.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes I’m sure, now hurry up and hit play.” Lena smiled as she tossed a green sour patch kid in Kara’s direction, bursting out into laughter when she caught it skillfully in her mouth. “Show off.” she muttered as the movie began playing again.

 

Kara not so subtly stretched her arm around a still slightly antsy Lena when the next jump scare occurred, and she gratefully welcomed the secure feeling of being held as the movie continued. By the end of the movie, Lena had replaced her blanket with the space where Kara’s shoulder meets her neck and she securely buried her face in the crook to hide from whatever was currently terrifying her on the television.

 

She hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been clutching onto Kara’s shirt until the credits rolled and she was finally able to relax. There was a noticeable mark on the neatly ironed t shirt where Lena had been gripping onto it, and she released it with an apologetic smile. Embarrassed about how close she had managed to get to Kara during the movie.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up your shirt.” she gestured to where she had been holding onto it.

 

“Wha-.. Oh, that doesn’t matter.” Kara laughed, waving her off as she realized what she was talking about. “You wanna watch the next one? It’ll probably make a whole lot more sense now that you’ve seen the first.”

 

Lena really didn’t want to watch the next one, she had barely survived the first, but she also didn’t want Kara to leave quite yet.

 

“I-.. Yeah, sure.” she agreed before standing up and stretching quickly. “I just have to run to the bathroom quickly, you’re welcome to go to, there’s one just down the hall on the left.” she gestured as Kara stood up and thanked her.

 

Lena opted to use the upstairs bathroom and by the time she returned, Kara was tidying away the empty wrappers strewn across the table alongside the untouched snacks that they hadn’t gotten to yet.

 

“Hey, where’s the trash?” Kara turned around with an armful of wrappers and empty soda cans.

 

“Oh, you don’t have to tidy up, I can get it all later.” Lena insisted with a smile.

 

“I don’t mind, if you tidy as you go along then there’s less mess.” Kara shrugged as Lena led her through to the trash can in the kitchen where all of the junk was deposited.

 

“Thank you.” Lena smiled as they each headed back to the living room.

 

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness once again as the lights were switched off and Kara pulled up the next movie. She sat on the couch, legs pulled up under her and tried to put a respectable distance between the two of them to avoid pathetically clutching onto the woman for dear life once again.

 

“We both know you’re probably gonna end up over here anyway, you might as well just come now you big scaredy cat.” Kara said teased with a warm smile once the opening of the movie began playing, holding her arms out for Lena to scoot over.

 

She wordlessly moved closer, resting her head on Kara’s shoulder as Kara’s arms wrapped securely around her waist and they settled down to watch the next movie. Lena had to admit, it did make a lot more sense after having seen the first one, and she found it wasn’t quite as difficult to watch with Kara by her side. She took comfort in the feeling of being protected, not that she needed it. She wasn’t some damsel in distress that needed saving, but it was awfully nice to have someone there to just hold her.

 

She spent so much of her time doing the holding, spending nights up with Leni, making sure that everything was alright with her. Not that she was complaining, she wouldn’t trade any of that for the world, but allowing herself to be the one being held was more comforting than she thought possible.

 

She felt her eyelids growing heavy towards what she imagined must be near the end of the movie, it was probably way past midnight by now, and Lena allowed the exhaustion of the excruciatingly long week that she’d had to envelop her as she began to doze off on Kara’s shoulder. She barely registered the soft press of Kara’s lips to the top of her head before she succumbed to sleep and began snoring softly into Kara’s shirt.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Lena registered when she woke up was the overwhelming feeling of calm seemingly floating throughout her entire body. She was warm and content and she had slept better than she could remember sleeping in a really long time. She lay with her eyes closed a little longer, allowing herself to bask in the feelings as her brain slowly caught up with her.

 

It was another few moments before the memories of the night before came back to her and her eyes slowly fluttered open as her suspicions were confirmed. She was laying sprawled out on the large couch, head resting contently on Kara’s chest. They must have fallen asleep at some point during the movie Lena thought as her eyes flickered up to Kara’s face.

 

“Hi.” Kara spoke roughly, her voice laced with sleep as Lena met her blazing blue eyes with her own.

 

“Hi.” she smiled lazily.

 

There was a little wet patch on the chest area of Kara’s shirt right where her mouth had been and Lena immediately sat up when she noticed it.

 

“Crap, sorry. I think I drooled on you, that’s so gross oh my god.” she fumbled as she tried to free a corner of her blanket to wipe at Kara’s shirt.

 

“Lena.” Kara stopped her before she had the chance. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. Honestly, it was kind of adorable.” she told her sincerely as she guided Lena back down to lay beside her once again.

 

Lena hummed contently at the soft, mindless patterns that Kara was currently drawing on her arm as she looked up to face her.

 

“I’m sorry for falling asleep, I didn’t mean to impose on your whole evening.” Kara whispered softly. They were merely inches away from one another, and talking at full volume seemed way to harsh for their current situation.

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Lena smiled. “Honestly, I slept better than I have in a while.”

 

“Yeah?” Kara’s eyes lit up as she asked.

 

“Yeah.” Lena confirmed.

 

She lay there for a moment, just looking up into Kara’s face. She noted the light freckles that were spattered across the bridge of her nose and trailed a path down onto her cheeks. She took in the soft look in her eyes, the tiny little flecks of gold that mixed in with the blue. She held the universe in them and Lena was mesmerized. Before she knew it, she was slowly moving in, gradually closing the gap between them before their lips met softly. It was gentle and short, but the pressure was delightful and Lena smiled bashfully when she pulled away.

 

She lowered her head in an attempt to hide the rapidly spreading blush currently decorating her face, but Kara’s fingers beneath her chin stopped her and suddenly her lips were on hers again. It was slow and soft and Lena could feel Kara’s matching smile pressing up against her mouth as their lips moved rhythmically together and it was _perfect._

 

She could feel Kara’s hands running gently up and down the expanse of her back as they continued to kiss lazily for a while, it felt as though she had been kept locked away in the dark for years and suddenly she was free. Her entire body was lit up, gravitating towards the woman beside her and suddenly Kara’s tongue was running along her bottom lip. She gasped in surprise, lost in the kiss, as their tongues met for the first time. She eagerly explored Kara’s mouth, hooking her leg around her waist before Kara got the hint and helped pull her up to straddle her.

 

Kara’s fingers were splayed across the expanse of Lena’s ribcage, kneading the soft curvy flesh there while Lena’s hands tangled in messy blonde curls. She could feel the burn in her lungs, demanding the oxygen that she had been depriving them of for the past few minutes and she regrettably pulled away.

 

They laughed as they sat up, Lena still straddling Kara’s lap as Kara’s arms snuck around her waist in a tight hug. They breathed together in silence for a few moments before Lena leaned down to connect their lips once again. Her hands held firmly onto Kara’s face, gently caressing her cheeks with the pad of her thumbs every so often.

 

Kara’s hands roamed from Lena’s ribcage down to her soft, supple hips and then cheekily down to palm at her butt. Lena smirked against her lips as she ground down in Kara’s lap, their join moan was lost in the kiss as their tongues continued to dance together.

 

“Hey-.. Oh! Oh! Crap.. Sorry! No, Leni stay there!” Sam’s voice cut through the silence of the house and they sprang apart like polarized magnets.

 

“Shit!” Lena cursed as she lifted herself off of Kara’s lap, heart racing as she tried to calm herself enough to think clearly. “Sam!? Can you take Leni upstairs please?” she called down the hallway where Sam had previously disappeared to after walking in on them.

 

“I’m sorry.” Kara apologized as she stood up. “I shouldn’t have gotten so carried away-..”

 

“No it’s fine.” Lena cut her off. She was still slightly panicking and unsure what to do. “It’s not your fault I just.. I think you should go.” she told Kara as she scrambled to make herself look a little more presentable, desperately trying not to think about the noticeable feeling of the slick between her thighs.

 

“Yeah, yeah I’ll get going.” Kara told her.

 

Lena simply nodded, refusing to meet her eyes as she stepped aside to let Kara pass her. Her arms were wrapped around herself tightly and she waited for a few moments until she heard the front door close before she padded down the hall and headed up the staircase to face Sam and Leni.

 

She hadn’t meant to get so carried away, and her heart rate just wouldn’t seem to slow down as she approached the door to Leni’s room. She wasn’t sure how much she had seen, or if she had even seen anything at all, but Lena had been with her _teacher._

__

She had been grinding on her daughter’s preschool teacher in the middle of her living room.

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

 

 

“Mommy!”

 

Lena barely had time to register what was happening before Leni came running out of her room and crashed full speed into her legs before she wrapped them in a tight hug. Lena laughed as she bent down, prying her little arms away from her before scooping Leni up and planting kisses all over her face as she settled her on her hip and turned to Sam.

 

“I was just telling little miss Leni here how impressed you would be if she headed straight up to her room and unpacked her own bag so that mommy wouldn’t have to do it.” Sam winked. “She was so excited that she didn’t even come see you before rushing up here.”

 

“Oh really?!” Lena gasped as she turned to face Leni, who was nodding enthusiastically in reply.

 

“I putted all my stuff away mommy.”

 

“You did?! That’s awesome baby! I’m so proud of you!” Lena planted another few kisses on her face before setting her back down on the ground.

 

The three of them headed back down the stairs, Leni’s little hand clutched carefully in Lena’s as she took them one step at a time, always stepping down with her right foot instead of alternating between feet as Lena and Sam suppressed laughs at the sheer adorableness of the whole thing.

 

Leni took off for the playroom as soon as they made it downstairs and Lena continued to the front door to see Sam off.

 

“I have an appointment at the hairdressers in a half an hour so I need to run.” she told Lena as she slipped her shoes back on. “But we are __so__ talking about this later!” Sam squeaked excitedly as she held onto Lena’s shoulders and gave them a little shake.

 

“Do we really have to?” Lena groaned as she covered her face with her hands, desperately wanting nothing more than to just forget the whole thing.

 

“Uh, of course we have to!” Sam planted an energetic kiss on her forehead before letting out another squeak and heading out the door. “Bye! I’ll see you later!”

 

“Not if I can help it!” Lena called back with a laugh, closing the door just in time to see Sam flipping her off as she got into the car.

 

Lena picked Leni’s previously discarded sneakers up from the floor and put them away neatly in the closet before taking off in search of her little mini me.

 

“Hey babe?” she called out as she made her way back down the large hallway. “Leni? Mommy needs to grab a quick shower! You gotta come upstairs with me babe!”

 

All of the rooms she passed were empty, and Leni didn’t reply. Lena furrowed her brow, assuming that she must have just gotten caught up with one of her toys as she headed to the playroom but when she got there, she found that it was empty too.

 

“Leni?!” Lena called out her name a second time, but she was met with silence once again.

 

It wasn’t until she reached the living room at the end of the large hallway that she realized her mistake. Leni was kneeing on the floor at the coffee table, mouth ridiculously overflowing with candy that she couldn’t quite chew. Her mouth wouldn’t close because she had stuffed so much in and Lena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she rushed over immediately, internally cursing herself for not thinking to put the candy away before Leni returned. Although, in her defense, she was otherwise occupied.

 

“Oh my gosh, empty your mouth.” she held her hand out in front of Leni’s mouth. “Elena Elizabeth Luthor, I am not messing around. Spit it out, now.” she said sternly as Leni reluctantly emptied the semi chewed up gummy sweets into Lena’s hand before she deposited them into an empty popcorn bowl.

 

“No fair mommy!” Leni cried.

 

“You know you have to ask before you get candy, we don’t just take it.” Lena told her as she picked up the remains of their movie snacks from last night while Leni continued to scream.

 

She walked through to the kitchen to put away everything and deposited the remaining empty wrappers into the trash can. Leni was still throwing a tantrum, yelling about wanting the candy, when she returned.

 

“Come on, I need to go grab a quick shower before we do anything.” Lena nodded towards the stairs and held a hand out for her to take.

 

“No! I want candies!” she screamed, stomping her little foot onto the rug for emphasis.

 

Lena knew there was no point in arguing with her, so she simply walked over to where she was standing and attempted to pick her up. Leni knew what was coming, and she immediately made her body go limp when Lena bent down to lift her. She managed anyway, with a little difficulty and headed out of the room.

 

“Come on babe, please settle down.” she spoke softly as she tried to walk down the hall with Leni wriggling away in her arms and screaming bloody murder into her ear.

 

She managed to make it up the stairs and deposited Leni, still screaming and trying to fight her off, down onto the large bed in Lena’s room. Usually she would put her in time out when she was acting up, but it was extremely rare for her to kick off to this extent over something so small and Lena couldn’t help but feel responsible. She had hardly spent any time with her at all this week and she knew she was most likely feeling pushed aside and she was acting out because of it.

 

She knew there was no point in trying to be heard over her, so Lena simply sat down on the bed where Leni was still wriggling around and decided to wait it out. She reached for the remote, pulling  up the DVD menu for one of Leni’s movies and hitting play before she leaned back against pillow and gave Leni a moment.

 

She eventually stop screaming after an agonizing twenty minutes, face still red and eyes brimming with unshed tears as Lena reached over and pulled her up onto her chest. Leni settled immediately, legs draped across either side of Lena’s waist as her head nuzzled into her chest and she promptly fell asleep, exhausted from her temper tantrum.

 

Lena held her for a while, running her fingers comfortingly up and down the expanse of her back and just enjoying the luxury of being able to do so after being deprived of it for the past week, before she carefully set Leni on the bed and snuck away to the en suite bathroom to finally grab a quick shower.

 

Lena let her sleep for another half hour while she got herself ready for the day and then headed downstairs to tidy the little mess that still remained from the night before. When she returned, Leni was just starting to stir.

 

“Hey sleepy head, you okay?” she asked as Leni rubbed sleepily at her eyes.

 

Lena gave her a few minutes to fully wake up before helping her down from the bed and leading her down the hall to her own bedroom.

 

“We’re gonna change your shirt and then mommy has a super special day planned for the two of us, just you and me, does that sound good babe?” Lena asked as she located the shirt she was looking for in Leni’s closet and returned to the bed where she was sitting.

 

Her little blue eyes lit up upon seeing the shirt that Lena had pulled out for her to wear.

 

“We going to the museum?” she asked excitedly.

 

“We’re going to the museum.” Lena confirmed as she unzipped her hoody to reveal her own matching shirt beneath it.

 

She quickly switched out Leni’s current shirt for the matching _'think like a proton, always positive!'_ one that Lena was wearing before they headed downstairs to put their coats and shoes on.

 

“Which ones mommy?” Leni asked as she eyed the bottom rack in the closet where all of her shoes and sneakers were neatly lined up so that she could have easy access to them given her height.

 

“Whichever ones you want babe, you can pick.” Lena told her with a smile as she retrieved a pair of her own from one of the higher shelves.

 

Leni opted for a pair of her sparkly silver pumps. Honestly, they looked absolutely ridiculous paired with her purple patterned socks, but she liked them and Lena was content with it if she was.

 

“Ready to go?” she asked after she had helped Leni into her coat and watched her zip it up once she lined it up for her.

 

“I’m ready!” she flashed Lena a toothy smile.

 

* * *

 

The two of them spent a good few hours exploring all of the floors of the science museum. Lena was having the time of her life taking Leni around and excitedly showing her everything, witnessing her daughter show an interest in one of her favorite things filled her heart with so much love and adoration that it threatened to burst. They messed around with all of the interactive exhibits, Leni was fascinated by the air pressure demo and how the ball was seemingly floating in mid air, the two of them laughed together in front of the fun house mirrors that altered their appearances in so many different and yet equally hilarious ways that Lena just had to take photos of every single one to look back on and laugh at later.

 

Leni had sat on her lap in the planetarium and quietly voiced her amazement to Lena as their seat reclined back and they took in the mesmerizing images projected above them. They watched in awe as the heavens moved above them, vaguely listening to the voice of whoever was currently describing the specifics of everything and telling them about the constellations.

 

“I love the stars, mommy! I love them so much!” Leni exclaimed as they walked out of the planetarium hand in hand a little while later. “They’re so pretty.”

 

“I’m glad you liked them.” Lena laughed as she swung their hands gently between them. “You wanna know something cool?”

 

“What?” she looked up at her curiously.

 

Lena crouched down in front of her in the large open space of the museum, smiling as she gently brushed one of Leni’s stray curls away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

 

“Your name, Elena, means shining light.” she told her with a beaming smile. “Just like how the stars shine like lots of little lights in the night sky. You’re my little light.”

 

Leni giggled quietly in reply before Lena pulled her into a hug.

 

“I love you baby girl.” she spoke into her hair as she stood up and scooped Leni up with her.

 

“I love you too, mommy.” Leni replied happily.

 

They stopped by the gift shop on their way out and, after spending another half hour making sure that they absolutely did not miss anything in there, Lena bought a beautiful new night light for Leni that would project a variety of different constellations all around her room when it’s turned on before they decided to call it a day and headed back to the car.

 

* * *

 

“You wanna help mommy make dinner?” Lena asked once they got home and settled later that night. I was thinking we could decorate our own pizza, I bought some stuff for it.”

 

“Ooh yeah!” Leni exclaimed as she hopped up from her place on the floor where she had been coloring for the past little while.

 

“Come on, we’ll go wash our hands.” Lena stood up from the couch, laughing as Leni immediately sprinted out of the room and down the hallway into the kitchen.

 

“Hurry! You gotta lift me up mommy I’m too little to reach.” she impatiently jumped around once she reached the floor in front of the sink.

 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Lena laughed as she hurried into the kitchen to hoist her overly excited daughter up over the sink so that she could wash her hands.

 

Once they were done, Lena pulled a seat over for Leni to stand on so that she could see above the counter. She had bought semi ready made pizza dough from the store a few days ago, and rolled it out in front of them.

 

“Okay, you can put whatever you want on your half, and mommy will put whatever she wants on her half. Deal?” Lena asked as she spread the bright red pizza over the dough.

 

“Deal!” Leni yelled as she jumped excitedly on the spot.

 

Lena had chopped a few different vegetables and set out a couple of different topping options in little bowls so that Leni would have easy access to them. She made sure to keep her own toppings on her side of the dough because she knew that Leni didn’t like a lot of them and she desperately wanted to avoid a repeat of her earlier tantrum. They worked together happily, side by side and singing along to the random pop songs currently sounding throughout the kitchen from the little radio in the corner as they decorated their pizza.

 

“Hey babe, you got a little sauce on your face.” Lena turned to her with a smirk.

 

“Where?” Leni furrowed her brow at Lena as she asked.

 

“Right.. there.” Lena laughed heartily as she smeared a streak of sauce on the side of her cheek.

 

“Mommy you’re silly!” Leni giggled before Lena reached over with a dishtowel and wiped her face clean.

 

Lena managed to talk Leni into getting a bathbefore dinner just this once so that she wouldn’t be up ridiculously late past her bedtime. Once she was out, Leni helped her put on a pair of her favorite footie pyjamas and by the time she was all ready for bed, the timer dinged on the oven.

 

Lena made an exception for the night and allowed them both to eat in the living room instead of their usual spot at the table in the dining room and Leni seemed beyond thrilled as she sat in her pyjamas and tucked into their homemade pizza while one of her Disney movies played on the TV.

 

All in all, it had been a pretty wonderful day. Lena was openly staring at Leni as she ate her pizza, little eyes glued to the screen where a few of the characters were currently singing and Lena could feel the happiness radiating around her. Even when she thinks her heart is impossibly full to bursting, she finds there is always more room for Lena to love her little girl even more.

 

Once they had finished up their late dinner, Lena carried Leni upstairs to bed where she set up her new night light before tucking her in.

 

“You wanna switch it on?” Lena asked as she sealed the bottom of the lamp where she had just put a few batteries in to power it.

 

Leni nodded sleepily and Lena passed it over to her. They each gasped as she flicked on the switch and the room was immediately illuminated by the warm glow of the golden stars projected onto the walls around them. It spun slowly and the effect was mesmerizing.

 

“Woah.” Leni breathed.

 

“I know.” Lena agreed as she sat down on the side of the bed.

 

“Will you sing me a song please mommy?” she asked with a yawn.

 

“Of course I will babe, I know the perfect one.” Lena whispered back in reply, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead before she began singing softly in the room while Leni drifted off to sleep.

 

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star._

_How I wonder what you are._

_Up above the world so high,_

_Like a diamond in the sky._

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star._

_How I wonder what you are._

_How I wonder what you are._

 

“Sleep tight, my little star.”

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for amanda leigh lee, who finished her work <333

 

 

Once she had put Leni down for the night, Lena padded back down the stairs and settled on the couch with a hot mug of freshly made tea. It was the first time all day that she’d had a moment to herself and, without anything to distract her, she found that her mind wandered back to the events of earlier in the day when Sam had walked in.

 

She felt her heart anxiously speed up as she thought about it. She had let herself get too carried away and Leni had almost seen Kara and herself. God, how would she have explained that one to her? Was she even allowed to hang out with her kid’s preschool teacher? Surely there were some rules or something against that? She wasn’t sure, but she knew that she had to figure out everything in her own head before she even considered bringing Leni into a situation of that nature.

 

Leni had gone to bed later than she usually did, but it was still somewhat early and Lena debated whether or not she should give Kara a call. She knew in the back of her mind that the answer to that question was yes, she should call her but she wasn’t sure what to say and she really didn’t want to hurt Kara’s feelings.

 

Kara had been patient with Lena all day, it was almost as if she knew exactly what she needed without her even saying it and Lena was eternally grateful for that. She figured the least she could do was give Kara a call to let her know that despite the anxiety gnawing at her chest, she had enjoyed spending time with her.

 

She had to wriggle around to pull her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans before unlocking it and pulling up Kara’s contact as soon as she entered her password. Her thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before she took a breath and pressed down on it.

 

“Hey!” Kara’s voice sounded happily down the line after only a few rings.

 

“Hey, uh, I just wanted to give you a call about earlier. I’m sorry about pushing you out so suddenly-..” Lena began before Kara cut her off.

 

“No, no please don’t apologize. I completely understand, I should’ve called you earlier but I wanted to give you space to get your head around things and I know you’re really busy.”

 

Lena wanted to cry as she listened to Kara speak. She had this perfect, compassionate and patient woman telling her everything that she needed to hear and she was __still__ doubting herself. She wasn’t sure what else to say, so she settled for the truth and hoped it was enough for now.

 

“I.. I had a really nice time, though. Thank you for everything. I planned to slip some cash into your purse for the food but everything happened so quickly this morning that I didn’t have the chance.” Lena admitted as she breathed a laugh.

 

“oh gosh no you shouldn’t have even thought about that, it was my treat. I really had a great time too and, at the risk of sounding like a complete stalker, you’re really adorable when you sleep. You talk, did you know that? I couldn’t make out what you were saying but it was so cute.” Kara began to ramble as she finished her sentence.

 

“Oh my god no I actually didn’t know that, that’s so embarrassing.” Lena ducked her head to hide the light pink tint on her cheeks despite the fact that Kara couldn’t see her through the phone.

 

They spent a little while talking back and forth about random things. Lena filled Kara in on her day with Leni, telling her about everything that they did and laughed as she relived Leni’s tantrum over the candy. Kara told her about her own day, it wasn’t anything extremely exciting but Lena was content to listen to Kara talk about everything that she had purchased from the grocery store and laugh alongside her as she spoke excitedly about an adorable little puppy that she had encountered on the way home.

 

“His name was Alfie and he was the cutest little cocker spaniel! His ears were like.. crazy fluffy and he had the most adorable little black nose and _ugh!_ I just wanted to scoop him up and run away with him!” Kara gushed excitedly. “I actually spoke to his owner for a little bit and he was telling me all about how he adopted him from the animal shelter down the street from where that big ice cream place is, you know which one I’m talking about?”

 

“Yeah, I take Leni there sometimes as a treat, it’s a really nice place.” Lena replied as she set her now empty mug down on the coffee table.

 

“Well, anyway, he was just talking about all of the animals there that need a home and I’ve been seriously considering going to adopt one. It just kills me thinking about them all alone and not having anyone to love on them or having a place to call home, you know?”

 

“Oh my god I think that’s an awesome idea!” Lena told her excitedly. “I thought about it myself a few times but I think that a dog would just be a little too much for me on top of everything else, but you should totally do that! You really are incredible, I hope you know that.”

 

“It’s not really a big deal.” Kara brushed off the compliment in typical Kara fashion. “I called Alex and she thinks that it’s a good idea too, it’ll give me a reason to get out of the house a little more when I’m not working and I think the company would be awesome. It’s been a big adjustment moving here without my family and it gets a little lonely sometimes.” she admitted to Lena.

 

“Well, I think it’s a fabulous idea and I’m happy you’re going for it.” she praised.

 

“I was actually thinking about heading down to the shelter tomorrow to have a look, all I would need is a few supplies and things but I can buy all of those whenever I want. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like?” Kara offered up hopefully.

 

Given the current circumstances, Lena usually would have declined the offer and spent her entire weekend with Leni after not having seen her for most of the previous week, but Lena had organized a play date for Leni with one of the kids in her class tomorrow afternoon and she would be dropping her off there for a few hours anyway. Plus, she had just gotten out of school for winter break, meaning that Lena would have an entire two weeks to spend with her before either of them had to go back to work or school.

 

“Yeah sure I’d love to come!” she told her happily. “I’m only free for a few hours in the afternoon though, does that work for you?”

 

“Oh yeah that’s perfect! Do you want me to pick you up or meet you there?” Kara asked.

 

“I’ll just meet you there, I have to drop Leni off somewhere anyway so it’s just easier that way.”

 

“Okay yeah, that’s cool.”

 

They spoke for another little while before they realized how late it was getting and they eventually hung up with a promise to see one another tomorrow outside of the animal shelter.

 

Lena locked up the house before double checking that all of the downstairs lights and everything were switched off and then headed upstairs. She quickly popped her head in to check on Leni, who was still sound asleep and cuddled up with Penny the Penguin, before she made her way into her own room and settled down for the night.

 

* * *

 

When Lena pulled up into the parking lot of the animal shelter after dropping Leni off the next day she spotted Kara’s car immediately. She reversed into a parking space as close as she could get to her before shutting off the radio and climbing out of the car.

 

Winter had well and truly arrived and Lena had to be extra careful to not slip on the thin layer of ice currently decorating the ground and sparkling beautifully in the sun as she made her way over to Kara. Almost on instinct, she reached her hand out when she got close enough and intertwined it securely with Kara’s as they made their way across the parking lot together.

 

“God it’s freezing.” Lena puffed out a breath as they finally made it inside the building and out of the cold.

 

“I know but I’m too excited to care!” Kara squeaked happily and noticeably skipped one of her steps instead of walking.

 

The place was as nice as an animal shelter could be. There were dogs, cats and a few other house friendly animals available for adoption. After speaking to the woman behind the desk about what they were there for, she lead the two of them through to the back where the dogs were kept. Lena saw her own sadness mirrored on Kara’s face as they walked down the long, questionably smelling, aisle and took in the sight of all the dogs that were there, desperately wishing that they could take them all home.

 

She unlocked one of the gates and let Lena and Kara slip into one of the little rooms where a bunch of different breeds of puppies were running around excitedly. Kara immediately dropped to her knees and they all padded over to hop up onto her thighs and lick her face.

 

Lena watched as they somehow managed to overpower her, laughing heartily as Kara was pinned down on her back beneath the pile of overly excited puppies. There must have been at least twelve of them in the one little room and, before long, Lena found herself on the floor with them too.

 

“We get a lot of pregnant dogs that come here after their family abandons them, so a lot of these pups were born in here.” the woman told them as they continued to become acquainted with the puppies. “Most of them have never even been outside, we try as often as we can but it’s hard to keep up with all of them and the rest of the animals.”

 

“Well I’m more than happy to take one off of your hands today.” Kara smiled up at her from her spot on the floor. “I just have no idea which one, I want them all.”

 

The two of them spent almost an hour on the floor rolling around with the dogs after the woman left them alone. Kara snapped pics and selfies of them both laying in a pile of puppies and Lena felt as though she had been working out for the past hour, her stomach muscles were aching from laughter and she desperately wished she could take one of them home for herself and Leni but she knew that she just didn’t have the time to dedicate to a dog right now. It wouldn’t be fair on either of them, but she made a promise to herself that she would definitely come back here when Leni was a little older and they would pick one out together.

 

“Okay, okay I think I’m gonna go for this little princess.” Kara smiled, reaching down to pet the little chocolate labrador puppy currently sitting on Lena’s lap.

 

“Yeah, she’s a cutie.” Lena agreed as she scooped the puppy up and passed her over to Kara.

 

They called the woman over and Kara let her know about her decision before they were let out of the little room and taken through to one of the offices to sign off on some paper work and then ushered out into a waiting area while they organized everything. There were a few black plastic seats lined up against the wall beneath a range of different informative posters and such.

 

“I’m so happy for you! Have you thought about a name yet?” Lena asked as they took a seat.

 

“I’m so excited I feel like my whole body is vibrating!” Kara replied happily. “I don’t have a clue what I’m gonna name her though, I have a few ideas but I think I’ll spend some time with her first before deciding on one for sure. God, this is so stressful I can’t even name a dog, how on earth will I ever name a kid?” she laughed. “How did you come up with Elena?”

 

“Honestly that was one of the hardest things for me.” Lena admitted, turning a little in her chair and angling her body towards Kara. “I ended up with Elena because it’s my name with an E at the beginning, which I know sounds totally conceited but Lena was the name that my mother gave to me, my birth mother I mean, and I felt weirdly close to her during my pregnancy, you know? I found myself wondering if maybe she had some of the same side effects as me, or if I tested every ounce of control that her bladder had the way Leni did to mine.” she laughed. “It was just a way for me to feel close to her, I know it sounds silly.”

 

“It doesn’t sound silly at all.” Kara reassured her sweetly, slipping a hand into Lena’s lap and intertwining their fingers together. “I think that it’s a beautiful way to remember her and it really is a beautiful name.”

 

“Thank you.” Lena smiled softly, gently running her thumb over the top of Kara’s hand before looking up and meeting her eyes.

 

She had come to recognize the look in them, it was the look that she gave her right before she kissed her, all glimmering hopefulness and complete adoration, and Lena lost all sense of her surroundings as she leaned in and met Kara’s lips gently.

 

They broke apart when they heard footsteps approaching from the hallway to their left and quickly stood up as the woman who had been with them for the majority of the day reappeared with Kara’s new pup in her arms.

 

“Well, here you go.” she passed her over. “The paperwork is filed and everything is good to go, you can take this little one home now.” she smiled politely before heading back the way she came.

 

The little pup wriggled excitedly in Kara’s arms as they made their way out of the building and Lena couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she witnessed the sheer joy on Kara’s.

 

“I gotta go to the pet store next door and get some stuff for her, you wanna join us? I think I’ll need a hand with her.” Kara asked as she nodded down to the still ridiculously excited puppy.

 

“Yeah of course.” Lena smiled before Kara passed her over and they headed into the pet store.

 

They spent some time walking around the aisles, Kara pushed the large plastic cart while Lena tried her best to keep the little puppy currently wriggling around in her arms entertained. They picked out a ridiculously large bed because __“_ She’ll grow, Lena”_ before they went around and selected a collar and lead for her. Kara picked out a beautiful pink matching patterned set that complimented the light brown shade of her fur perfectly and then they set off in search of food and treats.

 

Kara’s new puppy was quite the hit as they wandered around the store, having to stop at least twice every few minutes to let someone fawn over her and pet her little head. Not that she minded, the little pup was soaking up the attention and Kara was a massive people person who happily engaged in a quick conversation with them all.

 

By the time they had loaded up Kara’s car with everything, Lena found herself not wanting to part with the puppy.

 

“I don’t wanna let her go, she’s way too cute.” she pouted in Kara’s direction, pulling the dog up a little closer to her chest and swaying lightly with her.

 

“You can come visit her any time.” Kara smiled as she watched the both of them. “But you have to promise that you won’t try to steal her.”

 

“I make no such promise.” Lena spoke more to the pup than to Kara, lifting her up and letting her plant sloppy kisses all over her face. “If you don’t take her right now I’m gonna run straight to my car and floor it all the way home with her.”

 

Kara laughed as she took the little puppy from Lena’s arms, securing her in her own before she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Lena’s lip, and another, and another.

 

“I’ll talk to you later?” she asked with a dopey smile as Lena, smile mirroring her own, moved back and made to walk over to her car.

 

“Yeah, you better text me when you figure out her name. I’m dying to know.”

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the first person that I tell.” Kara spoke a little louder as Lena moved further away before she fully turned and headed into the car.

 

* * *

 

After putting Leni to bed later that night, Lena was curled up on the couch with a rare glass of red wine and one of her blankets draped over her while she watched a few repeat episodes of one of her favorite shows. Her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she managed to skillfully maneuver herself over to reach it without having to sit up on the couch.

 

She turned the brightness down a little, the screen was too harsh on her eyes after having sat in almost complete darkness for the past hour or so, before she swiped open the text from Kara and smiled as she took in the message.

 

_Kara: Say hello to Oreo!! -K x_

__

There was a photo attached of a little brown blur seemingly running across what appeared to be Kara’s floor, followed by a photo of the little pup fast asleep on Kara’s lap and then finally a selfie of them both. The pup looked as though she was attempting to chew on Kara’s nose and Lena laughed audibly before typing her reply.

 

_Lena: Oreos are clearly black, not brown you goof. I love it though, it suits her perfectly. -L x_

__

She set her phone down beside her before returning her attention back to the TV. It wasn’t long before it buzzed with another reply.

 

_Kara: Poop is brown, should I just rename her that since you’re so invested in the name matching her color? Lol, thank you though. I love it too. :) -K x_

__

Lena was mid laugh and trying to come up with something equally witty to reply to Kara with when a notification popped up on her screen from one of her news apps and her own name caught her attention.

 

She clicked on it immediately, completely forgetting Kara’s text for the time being as the app opened up and the headline stared up at her in big black letters.

 

_Lena Luthor’s new love interest? The youngest Luthor was spotted out in National City today getting a little too friendly with an unknown woman who appeared to be-_

__

Lena couldn’t bring herself to read any more, she tore her eyes away from the words and scrolled down, feeling her heart sink as she took in the photos of them. There were more than a dozen, most of them consisting of the kiss that she had shared with Kara just before they had parted.

 

She felt sick, she hadn’t wanted to rush things with Kara. She had wanted to take things at her own pace, to slowly work her way through whatever she needed to and now it was plastered all over the internet for the world to see. How could she have been so naive as to forget about the possibility of paparazzi lurking around?

 

She felt as though she was suffocating. Now the school would know all about them, all of the other parents and teachers. One of the kids might tell Leni and she would have no idea how to explain it all to her. What if they thought she was getting special treatment because of it? Would Kara get in trouble?

 

This is exactly what she was afraid of in the first place. Fuck.

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here’s another chapter since y’all were so pissed at me xx

 

 

Lena had booked a vacation for both herself and Leni for winter break way back at the start of the year. She had been wanting to take her to Disney World for some time and she figured that it would be amazing during the festive season. She felt that Leni was finally old enough to actually be aware of what was going on and be able to appreciate everything, so she had booked it almost a year in advance but had refrained from telling Leni, wanting to keep it a surprise for as long as she possibly could. They were set to leave in a few days and honestly, Lena couldn’t wait to get away from everything for a little while.

 

The media had been going crazy ever since news broke of her new mysterious love interest the day before and Lena hadn’t been able to get rid of the ache thudding dully in the back of her skull ever since. She was beyond overwhelmed and she really just wanted to pack up and run from the whole thing. She wanted to take it all back and forget about it, but she couldn’t and now the whole world knew details about her life that she really hadn’t been ready to share.

 

Kara had called a few times and left more than a couple of messages but Lena couldn’t bring herself to read them, although it didn’t take a genius to work out why Kara was calling. She obviously knew about the articles and Lena knew deep down inside that she was being unfair to her. Kara hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact she had done the complete opposite of wrong but it was just all way too much way too soon for her. Lena hadn’t been in a serious relationship in her adult life, sure she’d had little flings and hookups in high school and college like everyone else, but she had a child to think about now. She couldn’t just be bringing random strangers in and out of her life, it wasn’t fair on her and it certainly wasn’t something Lena was willing to risk. Her biggest fear in life was that she would somehow mess her kid up in the same way that she had been messed up, and she didn’t want that for Leni. She wanted her to have a happy, healthy childhood filled with love and good memories.

 

Still, she liked Kara. She really did. She didn’t feel so alone with her. Spending time with Kara was like putting on her glasses, the world goes from indistinct and nonsensical until suddenly it all seems clear and it makes a little more sense. She finds that she laughs a little more with her and opening up doesn’t seem so terrifying because she know that she won’t be judged. All of that seemed cloudy in her head right now though, she couldn’t focus on any one thing when the urge to run was rooted so deep down inside of her that it was all she could think about.

 

She just felt overwhelmed and conflicted and her body was screaming at her to run. She didn’t know any other coping strategies and so, she avoided the phone calls and didn’t read the texts. She didn’t even reach out to Sam about it when she checked in to see how Lena was doing, although she was more than sure that Sam would show up at the house eventually.

 

It was mid afternoon when Lena couldn’t take the ringing of her phone anymore. She shut it off and left it on the kitchen counter, opting to spend the day doing fun things with Leni in an attempt to take her mind off of everything. She switched the radio on and they spent some time dancing around freely to the music before Lena pulled out some ingredients and they set about making fairy cakes.

 

Leni refused to go down for her nap until the cakes were decorated so Lena let her stay up and help her with that. She pulled a chair up to the counter for her to stand on like she usually did and together the two of them iced and then decorated the cakes. They had a variety of different toppings ranging from sprinkles to little chocolate balls to fondant shapes and a few different gummy sweets.

 

After taste testing one of the cakes and washing her hands with Lena’s assistance at the sink, Leni went down for her afternoon nap and Lena took the time to clean their mess up in the kitchen. The cakes were spread out on a large platter in the center of the island, proudly displaying their hard work to the rest of the world and also testing Leni’s self control. Although, Lena had to admit that she struggled to stay away from them herself. She was just about to remove the little paper casing from her third fairy cake in a row when she heard a knock and the door and sighed, steeling herself for what was about to be an extremely draining conversation with Sam.

 

She reluctantly set the cake down on the counter before making her way down the hall to answer the door.

 

“Look, I love you but I’m really not in the mood fo-.. _Kara?”_  Lena cut off mid sentence, rooted to the spot as she took in the sight of what was very clearly __not__  Sam standing on her doorstep. “What are you doing here?” she anxiously glanced behind her to the staircase where she knew Leni was sleeping.

 

“What do you mean ‘what am I doing here?’” Kara asked exasperatedly. “You wouldn’t pick up the phone and I was worried about you.”

 

“You can’t just.. show up here!” she told Kara as she grabbed the little noise monitor from her pocket so that she would know when Leni wakes up before she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. It was freezing, each of her words were followed by a puff of air in the form of a white cloud in front of her and Lena wrapped the thin material of her long cardigan around her in an attempt to fight off the chill. “What if Leni had come with me to answer the door?”

 

“Lena it’s-.. It’s not a big deal! I knew you that would freak out about the article, I knew the moment I saw it that you would act like this, I respect that you have your boundaries I really do, and I’m pissed about our privacy being invaded too, but it’s not fair on me if you shut me out when I haven’t done anything wrong.”

 

“Kara I’m not saying you’ve done anything wrong!” Lena could feel her cool exterior rapidly deteriorating and she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to keep it together. “I don’t do.. _this!”_ she gestured between them with her hand. “Whatever this is, it’s all new to me. I won’t raise my daughter in an unhealthy environment and I’m not willing to drag her into any of this until I get my head around it first, I’m sorry if you have an issue with that.”

 

“This isn’t an unhealthy environment, Lena!” she could tell that Kara was getting frustrated as she tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. “We’re two adults getting to know one another, nothing about this is unhealthy!”

 

“You’re right, I’m sorry, that was a bad choice of wording on my part.” Lena admitted. “I just mean that it’s not healthy for Leni if her mom is going to be bringing people in and out of her life, that’s not something that I want for her.”

 

“Lena you’re a great mom and I’m not just saying that, you really truly are. That kid is your whole entire world and she knows how loved she is. I obviously can’t tell you what to do, and I don’t want to do that anyway, but.. I like you. I really do. I think that there’s something here, between us, and I think that you can feel it too.”

 

“Kara I can’t.. I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry, I really truly am but I just can’t. It’s too much, I-.. I think you should just go.” Lena shut her down, voice cracking ever so slightly as she did.

 

The dejected look on Kara’s face was breaking her heart because she _could_ feel it too, but she just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be dealing with this right now and she needed Kara to leave. She needed to be alone.

 

Kara didn’t reply after that, she stood there, shivering slightly in the cold as she stared at Lena. Despite the hurt written all over her face, her eyes somehow still managed to shine as brightly as they always did and Lena felt it like a bolt of lightening right in her chest. God, why couldn’t she just get herself together? What the hell was wrong with her?

 

Neither of them spoke as they stared, Lena held her gaze and she could tell that Kara was waiting for her to relent, to change her mind and tell her not to go, but Lena didn’t. She felt the ache in her chest as Kara slowly backed away before she fully turned around and headed back to her car.

 

Lena let out a sigh as she stepped back into the house and leaned back against the door for a moment. She was expecting the usual wave of relief of not having to worry about the situation anymore to wash over her, but it never came. She just felt empty, and the urge to cry was strong. God, what had she done?

 

The monitor in her hand began lighting up, indicating that Leni was awake, before she really had the chance to process everything. She thought that she would feel at least a little relief, but if anything she felt ten times worse and Lena had no idea what do to or where to go from here.

 

“Hey sleepy head, did you have a good nap?” she forced a smile as she made her way into Leni’s room and pulled her into a hug.

 

She was still a little foggy from sleep and simply nodded into Lena’s shoulder as she carried her back down the stairs and they settled on the couch in the living room. Lena switched the channel over to one of Leni’s shows and she was content to just sit with her on her lap for a little while.

 

“Mommy?” Leni turned in her lap to face her after a few minutes of watching the cartoons currently playing on the screen.

 

“Yeah baby?”

 

“If you want another cake you can have one.” Leni told her as she gently playing with a stand of Lena’s hair.

 

Lena couldn’t prevent the laugh that bubbled up inside of her despite how down she was currently feeling. Leni was always such a light for her and she didn’t think that it was possible to be any more grateful for her than she already was.

 

“Thank you that’s very sweet of you babe. Would you maybe be saying that because __you__  would like another cake?” she asked, laughing again as Leni ducked her face into her shoulder to hide her smile over being caught. “Come on, you can have another one as long as you promise you’ll eat all of your dinner, deal?”

 

“Deal!” Leni agreed excitedly, sprinting straight through to the kitchen to pick out her cake after climbing down from Lena’s lap.

 

* * *

 

Lena had text Sam earlier in the day reassuring her that she was alright and that there was no need to come to the house, but Sam showed up later that night anyway. Lena had just put Leni down and was changing into her own pajamas in her bedroom when her phone buzzed with a text.

 

_Sam: I’m downstairs, didn’t wanna knock and wake the munchkin. X_

 

Although she would probably deny it, even to herself, Lena was beyond relieved that Sam actually showed up. She had tried to take her mind off everything that had happened with Kara by doing different activities throughout the day, but for the first time in her life she found that no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to forget.

 

Lena padded softly down the stairs, taking extra care not to slip with her fuzzy socks on, before Sam pulled her into a hug. They walked together through to the kitchen where Lena immediately filled the kettle with enough water for both of them and set it back down to allow it to boil.

 

“I saw the article.” Sam stated as she sat down on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

 

Lena didn’t reply, she simply continued what she was doing, pulling two mugs from the cupboard and setting them down on the counter before adding a teabag to each of them. She personally didn’t like sugar with her tea, but she knew that Sam took two, so she set about sorting that out until she spoke again.

 

“I love you with my whole heart, but please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”

 

Lena froze at that, hand hovering above Sam’s cup with a teaspoon full of sugar still clutched in her fingers.

 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” She mumbled after a long pause, thankful that the sound of the water boiling provided a little bit of noise to prevent the silence feeling overly awkward and tense.

 

“Well that’s too bad, we’re gonna talk about it.” Sam told her bluntly, watching as Lena finished up with the sugar and began pouring the water from the kettle into each one of the mugs.

 

They made their way through to the living room together with a cake clutched carefully in their hands, sitting down side by side on the couch as they quietly sipped at their mugs until Sam finally broke the silence.

 

“So.. I called you a few times.” she began as she eyed Lena over the rim over her cup.

 

“Yeah, I switched my phone off.” Lena told her, fussing with the sleeve of her sweater in an attempt to avoid looking Sam directly in the eyes. She knew that she would see right through her if she did that.

 

“What did you do? And don’t bother denying anything.” Sam but in before Lena could protest. “I know something happened, I haven’t seen you this down since the day you first kissed her. What happened?” her gaze was softer this time and Lena could feel the words bubbling up, her desire to share everything with Sam quickly overcame her determination to just completely stop talking about it and pray that she would eventually just forget that the whole thing even happened in the first place.

 

“I told her to leave. She showed up here to check in on me or whatever. Leni was home, she could’ve seen her and she just showed up anyway.” Lena told Sam. She knew fine well that the fact that Leni was home wasn’t the real issue here, but she just couldn’t bring herself to face it right now. “Anyway, I told her that I couldn’t do whatever it was between us anymore, and then I asked her to leave.”

 

“Oh, Lena.” Sam watched her carefully, eyes filled with sympathy as she processed what Lena had just told her. When she realized that she probably wasn’t going to get a reply or any more information from the other woman, Sam shuffled a little closer, hooking an arm around Lena’s shoulders before she began to speak again. “You know, I’ve known you for four years. Four whole entire years. We’ve seen each other at our best and at our very worst, through some pretty impressive ups and some really brutal downs. My friendship with you is one of the greatest loves of my life, you’re my family Lena, you’re my sister, which is why I feel comfortable enough to tell you that honestly I think that you’re a fucking idiot! I’ve never seen you as happy as I have these past few months, and it’s totally your decision but I wouldn’t be the friend that you deserve if I didn’t tell you that I think you’re making a huge mistake right now-..”

 

“Look.. I just-.. Thank you, but I really can’t talk about this right now Sam. There’s just too much buzzing around in my head and I need some time to sort it out.” Lena cut her off before resting her head on her shoulder. “I really do love and appreciate you though, thank you for being here.”

 

“It’s alright, I’ll be here when you need me. Just.. please don’t take too long to figure it out, okay? I love you.”

 

They spent a little while watching TV and talking on and off about random things. Lena made them each another mug of tea and they may or may not have eaten the remainder of the cakes that Lena and Leni had baked earlier. She knew that there was a very good chance that Leni would throw a fit over it tomorrow, so she decided that she would break the news about the cakes at the same time she told her about their trip to Disney World in a few days. Lena had offered to pay for Sam and Ruby to accompany them but had Sam declined and Lena didn’t want to push. It would be nice to get away from everything for the week, just the two of them. She wouldn’t have to worry about any ‘grown up’ problems, she could just tune everything out and focus on having a good time with her baby.

 

Yeah, she really just needed to get away for a little while.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls don't go off at me im soft
> 
> SUPERCORP ENDGAME, but first a lil angst because that's always fun


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta get some of kara’s POV in there

 

 

Kara was spending her own winter break back home in Midvale. Some good quality family time with Eliza and Alex was exactly what she needed after the emotional roller coaster of the past few weeks and she couldn’t wait to see them. Sure, Alex had visited a few times when she could, but it just wasn’t the same as being back in her hometown with both Alex and Eliza. She was worried that moving away might cause them to drift apart, but she knew that it was a silly thought. She knew the moment she was back it would feel like she never left, and she really couldn’t wait. It was nice to have Oreo with her this time too, Kara had been feeling a little nervous about the whole thing but she had slept contently on her lap for most of the journey.

 

Her head shook gently as it lay against the window of the train and she allowed her thoughts to swallow her up for a long moment as the consistent blur of the landscape all but put her into a trance. Kara loved taking the train home, she could have easily driven if she had wanted to but there was just something so therapeutic about watching the world zoom by in a blur of color while she sat safely inside the carriage. Watching the slow change as the sun began to set was captivating and Kara hadn’t realized how badly she had needed to get away until now.

 

She had seen the look of regret on Lena’s face the exact moment that she had told her to leave, and Kara had stuck around a few seconds longer in the hope that she would change her mind, desperately praying that Lena would realize that she wasn’t in this alone, that she didn’t have to be. Her words played on a loop in her head.

 

_I can’t do this right now, I think you should go._

 

She understood, she really did. Hell, the whole reason she had gone over in the first place was because she understood so well that she knew Lena would be freaking out. She had just hoped that she would let in her, that she would let Kara be there for her, but she hadn’t and Kara would be lying if she said she wasn’t more than a little hurt.

 

They hadn’t spoken since then and it had been a few days. It felt odd and she found herself wondering if Lena was feeling it too. They had gradually began to text more and more until they found themselves often filling the other in on their day, or sending photos of whichever meal they were currently eating. Lena’s were typically always some form of salad and Kara never hesitated to let her know how offended she felt. She would then send a photo of her own meal, always something with a ton of carbs, and they would banter back and forth about the others eating habits. It felt weird not to receive good morning and good night texts from Lena, and Kara missed sending them in reply.

 

She knew it was silly, she had known the woman for less than a year, and yet she had become such a huge part of her daily life. The little smile that Lena would send her way each morning when she was dropping Leni off at school was enough to brighten Kara’s entire day, because she knew that particular smile was reserved only for her. The way she laughed so freely when they spoke over the phone late at night was a sound that Kara treasured, it was as though the cover of night gave Lena a sense of freedom that she didn’t have during the day. Kara knew those were the times that she saw the real Lena, the one that would beam up at her from the screen over FaceTime as they spoke about the most random things imaginable until one of them would be unable to stifle a yawn, usually Lena given her busy schedule, and then they’d talk for a little while longer despite Kara’s insistence that she go to sleep.

 

She felt a pang in her chest, the same one that had been there ever since she had shown up at Lena’s house a few days before, so she desperately tried to think about something else. About _anything_ else to make it ease off just a little.

 

* * *

 

“Kara!” the familiar voice greeted her the moment she crossed the threshold of the large front door and Eliza came rushing out from the kitchen, oven mitts still on her hands as she pulled Kara into a long hug, the excited puppy sandwiched between them.

 

Kara immediately felt some of her tension melt away as she relaxed into the embrace, taking in the comforting smell of whatever was currently cooking in the kitchen, the smell of Eliza’s shampoo, the smell of being home _ _.__  She held Eliza just as tightly as she was holding on to her and they stood there for a long moment, simply enjoying being back in the presence of one another.

 

“Oh I missed you so much sweetie! How was your trip?” Eliza asked when they eventually pulled away, taking a moment to fawn over Oreo as Kara spoke.

 

“I missed you too, so much. It feels so good to be back.” Kara told her with a smile as they made their way through to the kitchen so that Eliza could resume whatever she had been doing before Kara had arrived. “The trip was fine, the scenery was beautiful, I took a ton of photos.” Kara left out the part where she had almost sent them to Lena out of habit.

 

“I’m just finishing up dinner, Alex should be here soon, you can go unpack your stuff now if you like.” Eliza told her with a warm smile. “I changed your bed sheets this morning and I used your favorite washing powder so they’re all fresh and smell just how you like them.”

 

“Thanks Eliza.” Kara planted a quick kiss on her cheek before grabbing her case and making her way up the stairs, Oreo following excitedly behind her. She was still so small that Kara had to take extra care not to accidentally step on her when she was walking around.

 

Her room was still exactly the same as it had always been, her bed stood proudly in the middle of the room, pressed up against the back of the pastel yellow wall. Eliza and Jeremiah had allowed her to decorate her room however she liked when she had first arrived in a small attempt to make her feel a little more in control of her situation, and it hadn’t been changed since. There was the addition of the little square Polaroid pictures that were now hanging around the room, illuminated by the string of fairy lights running along the seam where the wall met the ceiling. Kara ran her finger lightly over one of the little square photographs with the four of them happily beaming up at the camera as she thought back to her childhood.

 

She remembers that she had been hesitant at first, to take photos with the Danvers. It made her heart ache that she had no photos of her own parents left, the fire had stolen those from her too, but eventually she began feeling more comfortable with the Danvers. She stopped shutting them out, and actually embraced them. They would never replace her own parents, but she found a whole new type of love with them.

 

Eliza and Jeremiah had taken her in simply out of the goodness of their hearts. They had no obligations to her, and yet they had treated her as though she was their own from the very beginning and Kara knew that she wouldn’t be the person she was today if it hadn’t been for them. She certainly hadn’t made it easy for them, but they stuck by her and she slowly opened herself up to the prospect of a new family. She wasn’t replacing her parents, she was simply welcoming more people into her life.

 

She heard the door slam closed downstairs, breaking her out of her thoughts as Alex’s voice sounded throughout the house. Kara tossed her case on the bed, opting to unpack later before scooping up Oreo and excitedly heading down the stairs to see Alex.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Hi!”

 

They greeted one another and Alex immediately stole the puppy from Kara's arms before Eliza appeared and pulled them into a group hug.

 

“Oh my girls, I love having you both together.” she pressed a kiss to the top of each of their heads before they broke apart.

 

The three of them made their way though to the kitchen where the table was set up with a variety of different foods and Kara could feel her mouth watering from the sight. She hadn’t properly eaten today, unless you count a few sandwiches on the train as food, which Kara didn’t, and she was starving.

 

“This all looks amazing Eliza, thank you.” she complimented as they took their seats and Alex placed Oreo on the floor to run around freely while they ate.

 

“I made all of your favorites, oh and I went out and got a chocolate pecan pie from that place down near the beach that you love.” Eliza told her as Alex rolled her eyes.

 

“Mom, she’s only been gone for a few months, she didn’t suddenly turn into the queen.” Alex teased playfully. “You don’t have to serve her.”

 

“Shut up.” Kara nudged her with her elbow as they all laughed and began eating.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, long after a delightful dinner with two of her favorite people in the whole entire world, Kara found herself sitting out on the back porch swinging gently back and forth. She had a fresh mug of coffee clutched in her hands for warmth and, as she enjoyed the serene silence that didn’t occur in the city, she found her thoughts drifting back to Lena. She knew that she was currently on vacation with Leni, Lena had been so excited about it and Kara had found the way that she gushed over the trip beyond adorable. She was actually a little sad, Kara had been looking forward to Lena sending her photos from their vacation, selfies of herself and Leni, probably wearing some ridiculous Mickey Mouse ears or something. She smiled a little at the thought.

 

“Hey sweetie, you alright?” a voice cut through the silence and Kara jumped a little in her seat as she turned to face Eliza. “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.”

 

“No, no it’s fine.” Kara smiled as Eliza sat down on next to her. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, the only sound that could be heard was the gentle creaking of the swing.

 

“Alex told me what happened.” Eliza spoke up again after another few minutes of silence.

 

“Of course she did.” Kara breathed a laugh. “She can’t keep anything to herself.”

 

“I wish _you_  would have told me.” Eliza looked at her seriously, reaching a hand out and placing it over one of Kara’s. “You know I’m here for anything that you need, always.”

 

Kara still couldn’t understand it sometimes. She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel like a burden to the Danvers sometimes, she was an adult now and yet Eliza still took care of her and she just couldn’t comprehend why.

 

“I know, I just.. I don’t know, I just don’t want to burden you with my issues. You’ve already done more for me than you should have ever have had to do and I guess I just figured I would make it a little easier on you if I kept this to myself.”

 

“Kara, sweetie, I don’t want you to ever think that. You’re my family, you’re my little girl and I’m here for whatever you need, I don’t care how old you are.” Kara smiled in reply, she wasn’t sure how to express her gratitude with words, but the look in her eyes was enough for Eliza to know  everything that she needed to. “So, tell me about Lena.”

 

“What do you want to know?” Kara asked tentatively. “How much did Alex tell you?”

 

“It doesn’t matter, I want to hear everything from you.” Eliza squeezed her hand a little tighter, offering a little reassurance as Kara took a breath and began to talk.

 

She sat there, swinging gently on the swing as she told Eliza everything. She spoke about how they had first met, about her first encounter with the woman. She told her about how they had gone out for coffee and how Lena had asked her out. She blushed as she recounted the first time Lena had kissed her, how they had gotten locked up in her office for the night and how her eyes had sparked so beautifully in the moonlight at the top of the ferris wheel at the carnival. She told Eliza everything. Well, everything within reason.

 

She didn’t mention the way it made her feel when Lena’s lips were pressed against her own, warm and solid unlike anything she had ever felt before. She missed out the sheer bliss that she vividly remembers accompanied the weight of Lena straddling her lap. The soft, soft curves that Kara could feel as she held onto her waist. She didn’t talk about the way her breath had hitched when she had woken up to the sight of Lena’s head laying on her chest, the way her heart seized up when sleepy green eyes had fluttered open and all but melted into her own.

 

“It’s like there are two different people inside of her, you know?” Kara asked Eliza, not waiting for her reply before she continued. “Like, when we’re together it’s.. it’s not like anything I’ve ever felt before. She’s smart and she has this great sense of humor and she’s so unbelievably kind despite being raised in a world that has treated her so unfairly, but then it’s like the worry creeps it’s way in and she just completely shuts down. I see it in her eyes, the way it changes her and I want to help but she just keeps shutting me out and I can’t.. It’s not fair on me.”

 

“Do you love her?” Eliza asked simply.

 

“I-.. It’s too soon for that, but I really think I could, one day.”

 

“You know I remember a little girl that went through those exact things not too long ago.” Eliza spoke as she pulled Kara in to lay her head on her shoulder and gently stroked her hair. “It was hard, it really was. Feeling rejected, feeling unwanted, it isn’t a good feeling but I know that little girl’s problem wasn’t with me, the problem was coming from inside of her. It was a long road and it required a lot of patience, but it was worth it. Seeing that little girl grow into a strong, insanely kindhearted, independent, beautiful woman makes every second of struggle worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

 

Kara hadn’t realized that she had begun to cry until she felt Eliza’s fingers under her chin, guiding her face up to look at her before gently wiping her tears with the pads of her thumbs.

 

“You know I’ll support whichever decision you make, and I know from the way that you talk about her that you really seem to have let Lena into your heart but.. Just don’t forget to take care of yourself too, alright? She has to want to better herself, otherwise you’re never going to get anywhere and you’re going to wind up getting hurt.”

 

“I know. Thank you Eliza, for everything.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of winter break passed by quickly. Kara was thoroughly enjoying spending time with Eliza and Alex, they did all of their favorite things together and it felt as though she had never left. It was amazing to just get away and not have any responsibilities for a little while, she could just lay around on the couch watching movies with her family. They made and then ate dinner together every night and she felt more at ease than she had in a while, but there was still the little voice in the back of her head telling her that something was missing.

 

She wondered how Lena spent her Christmas, smiling to herself as she thought about the fact that Leni was no doubt thoroughly spoiled. She pictured the way Lena’s entire being seemed to radiate happiness in a way that could only be caused by her daughter, she was sure it would be intensified by a million watching her open presents and no doubt singing along to cheesy Christmas songs together.

 

Kara had just stepped out of the shower on Christmas night when she saw a few notifications on her phone from Lena and felt her heart jump into her throat.

 

_Lena Luthor Missed Call (1)_

_Lena Luthor iMessage (1)_

__

Kara knew that she wanted to speak to Lena, even if it was just to reluctantly end things in the event that the conversation didn’t go in her intended direction, but she wasn’t quite ready to talk to her just yet, she had no idea what she was even going to say, so she opted not to call back. Instead, she anxiously unlocked her phone and pulled open the message.

 

_Lena: I was just calling to wish you a Merry Christmas, I hope you’ve had a wonderful day. -L x_

__

Kara didn’t answer the text message either, although she felt the slightest bit better that Lena had reached out and sent it. She just wasn’t ready or willing to get into everything right now, they would have a serious talk when she got back. If Lena wasn’t willing to talk then Kara knew that she would have to break things off, for her own sake.

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

 

 

The time away was everything that Lena had been needing. She hadn’t left National City for a vacation since before she had given birth to Leni and it was a huge relief to be able to just get away and breathe. She felt a lot lighter without all of her responsibilities weighing her down and being able to just focus on making good memories with Leni meant the world to her.

They had a really great time, she had never seen Leni so excited before and the joy on her face was enough to make Lena’s heart swell. She had taken photos of her with every single Disney character imaginable and Leni wore the exact same matching awe filled expression in every single one of them. They had attended parades and danced along with the characters. Leni knew almost every word to most of the songs and Lena had taken a ton of videos of her, knowing that they would be something great to look back on when she was older. She had been a little worried that the firework show was going to spook Leni, what with all of the loud bangs and such, but she had loved it even more than Lena had and both of them were bursting with happiness.

 

They arrived back from the airport in the early hours of the morning and Lena had abandoned their cases and bags at the door to deal with when they woke up later before carrying a sleeping Leni up to her room and collapsing down on the bed with her. She removed both of their coats and shoes and Leni didn’t so much as stir when Lena pulled the covers back and tucked her in before rounding the bed and settling down on the other side.

 

While it had been a lot of fun getting away, Lena was extremely glad to be back home. She was exhausted from constantly trying to keep her eye on Leni in the busy crowds, which wasn’t always easy with an over excited three year old desperate to run free and explore the world. They had also swam a lot, something that they rarely did at home although Leni had enjoyed splashing around in the kiddie pool so much that Lena made a mental note to take her to the pool nearby more often, despite the amount of time she had spent worrying about her after the whole lake incident. Most of all though, she just missed the comfort of her own bed. The smell of her washing powder comforted her immensely as she sank into the pillows and sighed in relief.

 

She found that during the moments she had alone over the past few weeks, the hours after Leni had gone to bed and Lena was left awake, her thoughts drifted back to a certain someone. Usually, those hours would be filled with finishing whichever work she still had to do and then talking on the phone with Kara until she absolutely could not stay awake anymore. She usually welcomed the silence that came with the night, she loved to unwind and just enjoy the quiet for a while, but it had become a routine to talk to Kara and she found it harder than she thought possible to adjust to the sudden silence again. She usually liked to be alone, but now she just felt lonely and it was entirely her own fault.

 

She hadn’t heard back from Kara after she had sent her a text message wishing her a Merry Christmas, not that she blamed her in the slightest. Lena wouldn’t be surprised if Kara opted never to speak to her again in a personal setting, but the time away and the empty hours at night had given her the opportunity to clear her head a little.

 

She missed Kara. She missed her a lot. She missed the way her eyes seemed to hold the entire universe in them, Lena never wanted to stop looking into them. She missed the way Kara laughed, unrestrained and almost childlike in her joy. She missed the way she felt around her, like for once in her life she was worthy of being loved by someone like Kara. Someone kind and beautifully selfless, with the biggest heart Lena had ever known. She missed the way that Kara saw the good in everything, she was beautifully in love with the world despite the tragedies that she had suffered through and Lena admired that beyond belief. Kara made her want to better herself and, for the first time since she had decided to take the plunge and have a child all on her own, Lena knew that she was absolutely certain about what she wanted.

 

She wanted Kara, but she couldn’t blame her if Kara wanted nothing to do with her. She understood that she had messed up, but she also knew that she had never felt this way before. She had never been so sure of something, or rather, _someone_ before.

 

Kara Danvers was someone that she wanted in her life, and someone that she wanted in her daughter’s life and Lena was willing to do everything that she could to make sure that Kara knew that.

 

* * *

 

“Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!” Lena dove out of bed, a little disorientated from getting up so quickly as she stumbled around the room trying to locate her clothes.

 

After taking so much time off over winter break, Lena had to be in her office earlier in the mornings and stay later at night to catch up on some of the work that she had missed, meaning that she hadn’t been the one dropping off and picking Leni up from school this past week. Lena had been so caught up in the fact that she was finally going to see Kara today when she was dropping Leni off for the first time since before they had gone on vacation, and she had completely forgotten to set her alarm the night before so now they were going to be extremely late and she really couldn’t afford for that to happen given her work schedule for the day.

 

She hopped around her room, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth as she stumbled and almost tripped in an attempt to put her black work pants on as quickly as she could. Once she fastened the buttons and pulled up her zipper, she quickly spat the toothpaste out into the sink and grabbed a shirt. She wrangled it over her head as she was running down the hall towards Leni’s room.

 

“Hey baby, you gotta get up.” she woke her up a little more promptly than she usually would prefer to, but they didn’t have any time for any messing around if Lena wanted a chance to be even remotely on time. “I need you to be a super big girl for me today and put your own clothes on, can you do that for mommy?” Lena asked as pulled out a simple t shirt and a pair of jeans for Leni to wear. She wasn’t too fussed about the appearance of them, she just needed something that would be easy for Leni to put on herself. “I’ll be right back, okay?” she lifted Leni down from the bed, planting a quick kiss on her head before setting her down on the carpeted floor of her room and leaving her to change.

 

She rushed downstairs whilst Leni was getting dressed and quickly poured some cereal into one of Leni’s travel tubs, they would have to eat breakfast on the road today. When she was done, she grabbed a juice box and Leni’s lunch box from the refrigerator and set them down by the door to easily grab on their way out before she headed back upstairs to see how Leni was getting on with dressing herself.

 

“Oh, well done baby! You look awesome!” Lena praised as she took in the sight of a fully dressed Leni, shirt on the right way round and everything. “Come on, we gotta brush your teeth and then put our shoes on.” she held a hand out for Leni before rushing off to the bathroom with her.

 

She enthusiastically attempted to scrape the mess of dark curls that was her daughter’s hair into something somewhat resembling a ponytail whilst she brushed her teeth and then grabbed two stray socks from the radiator in her room and wrestled Leni’s feet into them.

 

They were out the door just over ten minutes later, and Lena couldn’t help but laugh as she reversed out of the driveway. Leni was sitting contently in her car seat eating the dry cheerios from her tub, odd socks on each of her feet were visible at her ankles and her hair was a mess. Lena wasn’t doing much better herself, she hadn’t properly tucked her clothes in and her shoes definitely did not match her outfit, but they had made it out of the house in one piece and, assuming traffic wasn’t going to overly horrendous, they weren’t __too__  late.

 

When they arrived at Leni’s school, Lena rushed down the hall hand in hand with her before quickly helping her out of her coat and bag and then knocking a few times on the classroom door. She didn’t wait for an answer before she pulled the handle down and opened it just enough for Leni to slip inside.

 

“I’m here Miss Danvers, we sleeped too late.” Lena heard Leni tell Kara before she pulled the door closed and rushed back to the car. She had been hoping to maybe ask Kara out to dinner or something but she wouldn’t have the chance right now, she had to be at work and the whole class were there anyway, she would find the time though.

 

The rest of the day went about as well as the morning had. Lena was rushing around trying to make all of her meetings in time, which was completely unrealistic but she tried her very best anyway. She was aware that she looked like hell and probably could’ve been a little more focused on the tasks at hand but she knew that things would be back to normal by the time Monday rolled around again.

 

She had been so caught up with work that it totally slipped her mind that Leni finished a little early on Fridays and by the time she realized, she knew that she was going to be late to pick her up. She would’ve asked Sam if she thought it would have made a difference but they worked in the same building so it was the same amount of distance for them both, meaning neither one of them would get there any quicker than the other.

 

Lena packed up her things at record speed and was running down the hall, skillfully swerving in and out of a number of employees on her way towards the elevator, in no time. 

 

* * *

 

Kara watched as Leni swung her legs back and forth, not quite reaching the floor even on the little chair that she was sitting on. She also noted the odd socks on her feet and smiled a little at the sight.

 

“Mommy is probably just running a little late.” she told the slightly worried looking little girl currently sitting alone in her classroom with her. “You and I can hang out until she gets here, how does that sound sweetie?”

 

Leni stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly mulling it over in her head before she slid down from the seat and walked over a little closer to Kara.

 

“Can we play blocks please?” she asked quietly.

 

“Of course we can! I think that’s an awesome idea, come on, let’s go build something.” Kara exclaimed, reaching a hand out for Leni before they headed over to the blocks.

 

She sat down on the carpet and watched as Leni excitedly set about stacking them up.

 

“You really like those, huh? You play with them a lot.” Kara smiled as Leni handed her over one of the blocks.

 

“I got some at home, too. I play them with mommy.” she stated proudly.

 

“You do?! Oh wow, that’s awesome!” she praised as she carefully stacked the red wooden block currently in her hand on top of the tower that Leni was currently building.

 

Kara had no idea where Lena was, not that she minded staying late with Leni, but she knew that it was extremely out of character for her to not show up and she silently prayed that everything was alright with her.

 

“I love playing blocks with mommy, but you’re fun too.” Leni told her as she continued to play and Kara found herself smiling at the confession.

 

“Mommy loves playing blocks with you too, baby.”

 

Both Kara and Leni spun around at the sound of Lena’s voice coming from the door behind them.

 

“Mommy!” Leni called out happily, running over as a slightly disheveled Lena pulled her up into a hug.

 

“I’m so sorry that I’m late, babe.” she apologized as Leni pulled back from the hug, arms still wrapped around Lena’s shoulders as she looked at her.

 

“S’okay.” Leni told her with a smile. “We played blocks, right Miss Danvers?” she turned to face Kara.

 

“We sure did.” Kara smiled back happily in reply as she got up from her spot on the floor. “I had a lot of fun, you’re a very good tower building partner.”

 

Leni giggled in reply before Lena set her down and told her to go grab her coat and bag from the hall. She turned to Kara once she had gone and the two of them were left alone in the empty classroom.

 

“I’m so sorry about that, I got caught up with work and things have just been crazy this past week. Thank you so much for staying with her.” Lena told her sincerely. “It won’t happen again.”

 

“Oh, no don’t worry about it. It was my pleasure, like I said, she’s a great kid.” Kara wouldn’t meet her eyes and honestly, Lena couldn’t blame her. She could see the way she had hurt her, it was written all over her face and Lena’s heart ached at the sight.

 

“Kara..” she all but whispered. “I completely understand if the answer is no, so please don’t worry about that but I-.. Is there any way we that could talk? I have a lot to say, but I totally get it if you don’t want to hear it.”

 

“No, no I want to talk, I just.. I’m still so mad at you.” she admitted, finally looking up to meet Lena’s eyes. “You really hurt me and I’m not alright with that.”

 

“I know, I know that I screwed up big time, but please, _please_  just give me the chance to talk. Please just hear me out, I promise I’ll do everything that I can to make this up to you.” Lena desperately pleaded.

 

She knew that she had missed Kara, but actually seeing her brought it to a whole other level. She ached to reach out for her, but she had blown that opportunity for herself, and when Kara didn’t reply she decided to speak up again.

 

“Have dinner with me, at my place, tomorrow. We can talk beforehand, get everything out that we need to say, and I’ll make you something nice to eat. Whatever you want, I’m not the best cook but I’m alright, I’m sure I can manage and then Leni can join us for dessert afterwards if you’re alright with that? We can eat at home or go out for ice cream or something?” she finished up, unsure what else she could say to show Kara just how serious she was about this.

 

“You’re alright with her being around me outside of the classroom?” Kara completely disregarded everything else that Lena had said, she hadn’t been expecting the last part of her offer to come at all and she was unsure how to react.

 

“I want you to know how serious I am about this whole thing. I owe you a proper apology and I fully intend on giving you one, but I just need you to know that I’m sorry, and I’d really like it if you came for dinner.”

 

Kara was quiet for a little while longer and Lena could feel her heart beating violently in her chest, it felt like an eternity before she finally spoke.

 

“Okay.” Kara nodded.

 

“Okay?!” Lena questioned, unable to mask the shock in her voice.

 

“Like I said, I’m still mad at you, but, yes. Okay.” Kara repeated, nodding once again. 

 

Leni appeared in the doorframe a few seconds before Lena had the chance to answer and both she and Kara turned to face her. She had managed to put her own coat on but she still struggled with the zipper so it lay open. Her bag was on the floor beside her feet, Lena guessed she had dragged it from the hook instead of carrying it, and her hair was even messier than it had been this morning when they had left the house.

 

“Hey babe, you ready to go home?” Lena laughed before she made her way over to pick the large pink school bag up from the floor and swing it over her own shoulder.

 

“Yep.” Leni nodded happily. “Bye Miss Danvers.”

 

“Goodbye Leni, I’ll see you soon.”

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay it's happening everybody stay calm

 

 

While she hadn’t expressly mentioned it to Kara, Lena fully intended on the evening being a date. She didn’t want to just order in a pizza and eat it in front of the TV, not that she didn’t like doing that, she loved it with Kara but she wanted to put in some extra effort tonight. She needed Kara to know how she felt, and she often struggled with verbally expressing her feelings so she figured that a little extra effort in presentation would help her along the way.

 

She had dropped Leni off with Sam, who was beyond excited and didn’t hesitate to let Lena know how proud of her that she was. She hadn’t let her leave for almost an entire hour until Lena had explained her plans for the evening in great detail, before heading off to the store to pick up a few bits and bobs and some ingredients for dinner that she would need for cooking.

 

When she arrived back home, she set about preparing the food immediately. Lena had found a new love for cooking after Leni was born. She could no longer rely on takeout and leftovers, she couldn’t raise a child on those, so she had taken up cooking and was surprised to find that she was actually rather skilled at it. Lena found that it relaxed her and trying out new recipes and such was always fun, she was eager for Kara to try it and hear her thoughts on it.

 

Once everything in the kitchen was done and tidied away, Lena slipped the food into the oven and set a timer before heading upstairs to get changed for the evening. She wanted to look nice for Kara, but she knew that they wouldn’t be leaving the house so she didn’t want to overdo it. She opted for a simple pair of black jeans with a new blouse that she had purchased a few weeks ago. It was the exact same shade of green as her eyes and a little more revealing than her typical choice of clothing, given the fact that the only two people she had really spent time with outwith work the past few years was Sam and Leni, but she felt good in it and the deep V neckline and thin spaghetti straps highlighted everything that she needed it to, without being too obvious.

 

She spent some time loosely curling her hair, something that she hadn’t done for a while given the fact that her mornings usually consisted of getting herself ready as quickly as humanly possible before sorting all of Leni’s things out. After she was done with hair, Lena applied a light coat of makeup and took a moment to look over her appearance in the mirror. She felt good, she felt really good and she was actually looking forward to seeing Kara. Sure, she was nervous, but she knew that she was doing the right thing and it made it a little easier to keep her anxiety about the whole situation at bay. She finished off with a little lipstick, the same shade of red that she had worn to the father/ daughter dance a few months back, before quickly spraying her perfume and then heading back down the stairs to wait for Kara’s arrival.

 

She had a little under a half an hour until Kara was supposed to be showing up, so Lena spent some time preparing the table in the dining room. She had purchased a few little candles, nothing too over the top but just a little something to add to the overall effect. The plates and cutlery were already set up and she had chosen a bottle of wine that she hoped Kara would enjoy before setting it down in the center of the table where they would each be sitting.

 

She was giving the room a final once over to make sure that everything was in order when she heard the doorbell ring. Her heart jumped into her throat and her palms began to sweat, but she simply closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe. She replayed the words that Kara had spoken to her as they had sat on the roller coaster at the carnival the month before and allowed herself to believe them: _You can do this._

__

“Hey, thanks for coming.” Lena opened the door with a warm smile before stepping aside and letting Kara in.

 

“Thanks for having me.” Kara smiled politely as she entered the house and stood on the spot, waiting for Lena to guide her to whichever room they were going to have their big talk in.

 

Kara was dressed nicely in a casual pair of blue jeans paired with a smart long sleeved button down white shirt. Her hair was loosely curled much in the same way that Lena’s was and she found herself aching to pull Kara into a hug, to let the familiar smell of her comfort her after not being able to for the past few weeks, but she couldn’t and she knew that it was her own fault, so she simply walked Kara through to the living room and gestured for her to sit down.

 

“I could try and make small talk, but I really just want to get all of this out in the open as soon as I can, if that’s alright with you?” Lena asked as she anxiously ran her sweaty palms along the length of her thighs.

 

“Yeah, sure, go ahead.” Kara gestured at her to continue talking as she settled back on the couch and crossed her legs.

 

They were sitting on the same side of the couch, but far enough away from one another that they could fully face the other without any form of contact. Lena knew that if she didn’t start talking now then she most likely never would, so she simply took a moment to just bask in the sight of Kara sitting here before her on the couch in her living room, something that she honestly didn’t think would happen ever again, and began to talk.

 

“First off, I just want to say that I’m sorry. I’m so incredibly sorry, I know that I hurt you and that was never my intention. So, I apologize for that. I’m so sorry, Kara.” Lena paused to gaze at her, desperately trying to portray her earnestness in the look. “I wasn’t raised in a warm environment, after my father passed I was pushed aside and essentially left on my own and I don’t think it really hit me just __how__ unfairly I had been treated until I had a daughter of my own and I pictured her in my situation. I’m not trying to make excuses by telling you this, because I know that I’m responsible for my own actions, I just need you to understand why I tend to react the way I do to things. I was never taught how to handle my emotions as a child, I was taught to push everything down because it wasn’t _becoming_ of a Luthor to cry or express how they felt. I’ve never felt the way I do about you before, ever, in my life and I struggle with processing unfamiliar emotions. I’m so afraid that I’m somehow going to mess Leni up and she’ll have to suffer through the same things that I do that I just completely shut down when I think something could cause her any pain. I put so much effort into taking care of her, which I don’t regret for a second, but I think somewhere along the line I began to neglect my own mental health in favor of making sure hers was alright, and you got hurt because of that.”

 

Kara’s face had softened significantly, and Lena didn’t know how badly she was aching to reach out and pull her close. To cradle Lena to her chest and never let her go, to protect her from anything that might hurt her. Kara wishes that she could wrap Lena up tightly in a warm soft blanket just like a burrito, and then cuddle the Lena burrito for as long as it took for her to feel better, but that wasn’t exactly practical so she refrained from doing so. She sensed that Lena wasn’t quite done talking yet, and she seemed to be on a roll, so Kara stayed quiet to give her a moment to collect her thoughts.

 

“These past few weeks have been harder than I thought possible.” Lena began talking once again. “It’s like you changed something inside of me, I don’t know how to describe it but I just really missed you and I didn’t think it was possible for me to feel these things, but I do and I just really don’t want to lose you. I understand if you need time, or if you don’t want whatever this is between us, but when you said you felt something here and you thought that I felt it to, you were right. I want this, whatever this is, with you and I’m here for whatever, or however much time that you need. I promise you that I’m not going anywhere, I’ve been putting it off for a while but I think it’s time that I go see a therapist again, because I want to get better. I want to be a better person for you, and for Leni, and for myself. So, I’m sorry about everything, and I’m here for you if you still want that.”

 

The room fell silent once she was done speaking, and Lena felt as though she was suffocating whilst she waited for Kara’s reply. She subconsciously wrung her fingers together as she waited but thanksfully it was only a few moments before Kara met her eyes and began to talk. 

 

“That’s all I wanted.” Kara breathed with a smile. “I just wanted you to figure out how you were feeling. I want this, and I want you so badly it frightens me sometimes, I just didn’t want to tell you because I know that you’re easily overwhelmed and I was scared, rightly so I guess, that you would run in the opposite direction but Lena, I can’t do this if it happens again. I’ll be here to support you, and I fully understand that things aren’t going to be easy, life never is, but I just need to know that you’re not going to shut me out. If you need a day to yourself or something, or if things are moving too quickly, you just need to talk to me, okay? Just please, stop shutting me out. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Can I.. Would it be alright if I hugged you?” Lena asked tentatively when Kara finished talking, the fear of rejection prominent on her face.

 

“Get over here you big softie!” Kara opened her arms out for Lena as she spoke.

 

Lena scooted over, close enough so that Kara could pull her in and her head fell against the crook of her neck. She snuggled in as close as she could get and just took a moment to enjoy the feeling of Kara’s arms wrapped so securely around her. The comforting smell of faint vanilla and something so remotely Kara filled her senses and, for maybe the millionth time in the past few weeks, Lena mentally kicked herself for almost letting this slip away from her.

 

“I missed you.” she mumbled into Kara’s neck. “I really am so sorry for everything, I didn’t think you would come back.”

 

“I missed you, too.” Lena felt Kara place a kiss to the top of her head and smiled lightly against her neck. “I forgive you, but just, please don’t do it again.”

 

“I won’t, I promise.” Lena squeezed a little tighter to emphasize her point.

 

They fell silent again, but it wasn’t tense this time. Lena could breathe freely and she felt more content than she had for the past few weeks as she held onto Kara. They sat there for a little while, just breathing each other in before Kara broke the silence once again.

 

“So… what’s for dinner?” she asked with a smile.

 

Lena couldn’t prevent the laugh that bubbled up at the question and she pulled her head away from Kara’s shoulder to face her.

 

“You’re just always thinking about eating food aren’t you?” she continued to laugh.

 

“Well.. not _just_  food.” Kara teased with a smirk, winking cheekily at her as Lena’s laugh turned into more of a strangled cough.

 

“You’re going to be the death of me, Miss Danvers.” Lena told her, eyebrow arching up playfully, before she got up from the couch and extended a hand out to Kara. “Come on, food is this way.”

 

Kara took her hand immediately and Lena guided her down the hall, peering back over her shoulder to smile at her just before they entered the candlelit dining room.

 

“Oh wow, you didn’t have to do all of this.” Kara breathed as she took in the sight of everything.

 

“I wanted to do something special for you.” Lena brushed her thumb gently over Kara’s hand before leading her over to the chair to sit down. “I’m gonna go get the food, I’ll be right back.”

 

Lena reappeared a few minutes later with both plates clutched carefully in her hands before setting Kara’s down in front of her and then placing her own beside Kara.

 

“This looks incredible, and it smells amazing.” Kara praised as Lena sat down.

 

“It’s roasted sweet potato, topped with tomatoes and this awesome herb sauce that I learned to make a while ago.” she smiled at Kara before they began eating.

 

They finished up fairly quickly, Kara repeatedly praised Lena for the meal, going as far as to say that it was one of the best meals that she had ever eaten, and it completely slipped Lena’s mind that she was supposed to be picking Leni up from Sam’s place, and that Kara was supposed to be driving herself home later that evening as she opened up the bottle of wine. They were a few glasses in before she realized.

 

“Oh shit!” she called out mid sentence. “Fuck!”

 

“What? What is it?” Kara rushed out, suddenly panicked.

 

“I was supposed to be picking Leni up tonight, we were gonna have dessert here but I’ve been drinking, god I’m such an idiot. I have to call Sam.” she told Kara as she tried to locate her phone.

 

“Yeah, sure, do you want me to leave the room?” Kara asked hesitantly.

 

“What? No, of course not, I’ll just be a second.” Lena took her hand in her own as she pulled up Sam’s contact and hit dial.

 

“Hey, what’s up?” Sam’s voice sounded on the other side of the line almost immediately. “Is everything alright?”

 

“Yeah it’s fine, I just had a few glasses of wine and I totally forgot that I was supposed to be picking Leni up soon, so I was calling to see if there was there any way that you could drop her off instead?”

 

“Oh yeah don’t worry about that, I can keep her for you tonight if you’d prefer that? I missed my little munchkin when you guys were away, I really don’t mind.” Sam offered up.

 

“No it’s alright, I promised her dessert with us when she got back tonight-..”

 

“Is that mommy?” Leni’s voice cut her off and Lena laughed at the sound.

 

“It’s me, baby. Are you having fun with aunt Sammy?” she asked with a smile.

 

“Yeah! When are we having cake mommy?” Leni cut right to the chase.

 

“You gotta give the phone back to aunt Sammy so that I can talk to her about that, okay? I’ll see you soon though babe. I love you.”

 

“Okay, mommy. Bye, love you!”

 

“Alright, I’m back.” Sam laughed as she began talking down the line once again. “I’ll get her stuff together and drop her off in say a half an hour, does that work for you? Is that enough time? I’m not going to be walking in on anything inappropriate am I?”

 

“Yeah that’s fine.” Lena laughed. “I’ll see you soon. Thank you so much.”

 

“No problem, see you soon. Bye.” Sam hung up the phone and Lena turned to Kara. “You’re welcome to spend the night here if you’d like? I’m sure Leni wouldn’t mind a sleepover?”

 

“I’d love to but I can’t, Oreo can’t be left alone for that long.” Kara told her regrettably. “Thanks for the offer though, maybe some other time. I'll just take a cab home.”

 

“Yeah, of course! You can bring her next time, I’m sure Leni will lose her mind.” she laughed. "I have money here for the cab, since it's my fault that you need to get one in the first place."

 

They spent the next half hour showing one another photos of the things that they had missed over the past few weeks. Lena scrolled through her phone, beaming with pride as she let Kara see all of the photos of their winter break at Disney World. Most of them consisted of Leni in multiple different princess dresses and costumes. There were a few selfies of them both that Kara fawned over, and of course there were photos of the food that Lena had eaten. In turn, Kara showed Lena the photos from the train that she had taken on the way home, and a few different ones of her family over the break. She had an impressive amount of photos of Oreo, and they spent some time watching videos of her that Kara had taken. They were halfway through watcbing one of Oreo running around with one of Kara’s shoes in her mouth when Lena heard a knock at the door, signaling Sam’s arrival.

 

“Are you ready for this?” Lena asked Kara as she stood up to go answer the door.

 

“Are _you_ ready for this?” Kara replied, intertwining her hand with Lena’s as they made their way down the hall.

 

“Yeah, I think I am.” Lena nodded, taking a breath before swinging the door open and coming face to face with Sam and Leni.

 

“Mommy!” She exclaimed running into the house excitedly before turning around as her eyes fell on Kara. “Miss Danvers! Why are you here?”

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no life omg here's another chapter

 

 

“Miss Danvers! Why are you here?”

 

Leni’s little brow furrowed in confusion as she took in the sight of her teacher, her mom, and her aunt all standing by the door watching her intently.

 

“She’s gonna join us for dessert babe! Isn’t that exciting?!” Lena asked, maybe a little over enthusiastically, as she crouched down to Leni’s level. “Can I have a hug? I missed you when you were away.” she held her arms out wide but Leni continued to study them all for a moment, before seemingly coming to the conclusion that she had more exciting things to be thinking about and happily sunk into Lena’s embrace.

 

“We gonna have cake now?” She asked as she pulled away and and looked up eagerly at the three women standing before her.

 

“I gotta get going kiddo, but I’ll see you soon, okay?” Sam crouched down at the door much like Lena had and pulled Leni into a hug before standing back up. “You guys have fun, but not too much fun, there’s a kid here.” she sent off a wink in Kara and Lena’s direction before heading out the door.

 

“Come on babe, let’s go get you some cake.” Lena put a hand on Leni’s back and gently guided her through to the kitchen as Kara followed closely behind.

 

“Are you having cake?” Leni turned to Kara and asked with a smile.

 

“Uh, of course I’m having cake! I’d be crazy not to!” she exclaimed while Leni giggled.

 

Lena set the little chocolate cake that she had bought earlier in the day from the bakery down on the kitchen counter before she felt Leni tugging at her leg. She looked down to see the familiar blue eyed pout that usually indicated that she wanted to be picked up so that she could help out with whatever Lena was doing.

 

“Oh, come on then.” Lena scooped her up and set her down on the counter beside the cake, watching as Leni eyed it hungrily. Lena laughed as she glanced over at Kara and noticed the exact same expression mirrored on her face.

 

She cut three slices, a normal sized one for herself, a little triangle piece for Leni, and then a much larger slice for Kara. She set them each down carefully on a plate before lifting Leni back down from the counter so that she wouldn’t fall when Lena went to get the ice cream.

 

“Which flavor would you like?” she asked Kara as she held up a tub of vanilla and a tub of chocolate chip that she had just taken from the freezer.

 

“Chocolate please!” Leni exclaimed, jumping up into the air excitedly to emphasize her point.

 

“Yeah I know that _you_ want chocolate, my little chocoholic, I was asking our guest.” Lena laughed as she held up the ice cream once again and turned to Kara, raising her brow in question.

 

“I’ll have chocolate too, please.” Kara winked in Leni’s direction and the two of them swapped a smile.

 

Lena rolled her eyes before scooping them each a few spoonfuls of ice cream out of the tub and dumping them onto the plates beside the cake. She opted for vanilla with her own slice, and a few minutes later the three of them were sitting in the living room enjoying their cake and scoops of ice cream.

 

Leni was kneeling on the floor, plate perched on the large wooden coffee table in the center of the room as she wriggled around to whichever song was currently playing on the TV with her spoon hanging out of her mouth whilst Kara and Lena watched from the couch. Kara finished her slice of cake impressively quickly and Lena could feel her eyes on her as she ate her own. She began purposefully making a show out of eating it, making sure to take her time thoroughly licking the spoon between each bite and trying to keep her laughter in check. It didn’t last long before Kara caught on to what she was doing.

 

“You’re teasing me!” she leaned in and whispered to Lena, dramatically feigning outrage.

 

“I’m sorry.” she laughed. “You’re just too easy. Here, you can have the rest of mine, I’ll need to buy a bigger wardrobe if I eat any more anyway.” she passed the bowl over to Kara who chastised Lena for the comment about herself before eagerly accepting the plate from her and eating the rest of her cake.

 

It took Leni a little longer to finish off her own piece, the ice cream had completely melted and there was more of it on her face than in her mouth by the time she declared that she was done. Her hands were sticky and she had a trail of chocolate running from the collar of her t shirt all the way down to the hem at the bottom.

 

“Was your shirt hungry, babe?” Lena asked with an amused smirk as she took in the sight of her daughter covered in chocolate.

 

Leni looked confused for a second before her eyes followed Lena’s down to her shirt, smiling shyly as she saw the mess that she had managed to make.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m way older than you and I still spill food all over my clothes.” Kara laughed as Lena playfully rolled her eyes.

 

“I’m gonna go get her ready for bed it shouldn’t take too long, are you alright to wait or do you wanna head home?” Lena asked as she nodded in Leni’s direction.

 

“No, no it’s fine I’ll wait if that’s alright with you?” Kara smiled happily.

 

“Yeah that’s fine, I’m just gonna clean her up a little and then put her to bed.”

 

“No mommy!” Leni called out upon hearing Lena’s plan for her for the evening. “I wanna stay down here with you guys!”

 

“Babe it’s already past your bedtime you gotta go to sleep.” Lena told her as she reached her arm out to take her hand, falling short as Leni dramatically pulled back and moved away from her.

 

Lena guessed of all the things for Leni to be getting fussy over in this particular situation, wanting to spend a little more time with both herself and Kara together definitely wasn’t the worst thing that could be happening, and she also really wasn’t in the mood for another full fledged tantrum after having such a nice day.

 

“Okay, how about this.” She crouched down to Leni’s level before continuing. “You come upstairs with mommy and we’ll get you cleaned up and then put your pajamas on, and then you can come down here and watch a movie with us but then you gotta go to bed. Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Leni nodded before heading out into the hallway and over to the stairs.

 

“Sorry about this, she’ll be out cold in about twenty minutes either way. She’s exhausted.” Lena whispered to Kara as she made her way to the door of the living room too.

 

“Oh no don’t worry about it, I like watching you with her. You’re amazing.” Kara complimented sincerely as Lena blushed.

 

“Thank you.” she spoke softly.

 

Lena left Kara alone in the living room and went to join Leni at the bottom of the staircase where she was waiting for Lena to unlock the baby gate for her before they climbed up together. They headed straight for Lena’s room and then into the en suite bathroom where Lena stripped off Leni’s dirty clothes and tossed them into the clothes hamper. She quickly washed her face with a few wet wipes and then set about brushing her teeth before heading back into her room to grab Leni’s clean pajamas from the radiator where they were being warmed up for her.

 

Lena slipped a pair of fuzzy socks onto her feet, tucking her pajama bottoms into them so that she wouldn’t get cold downstairs before picking her up and heading back down into the living room where Kara was waiting for them. Leni was already fighting to keep her eyes open, and Lena saw her yawn at least four times in the few minutes it took her to set up the movie.

 

“Oh wow! Awesome PJs!” Kara exclaimed as Leni climbed up onto the couch beside her. “I wish I had a pair like these, they’re so cute!”

 

“Thank you, mommy buyed them for me.” Leni told her as she looked down at the light yellow patterned pajamas that she was currently wearing.

 

Once the DVD was set up, Lena made her way back over to the couch, grabbing the blanket from the back of it and tossing it to Leni before pulling her up onto her lap. They were barely five minutes into the movie when Leni began snoring softly into Lena’s shoulder, her little hand clutching loosely at the strap of her blouse.

 

“Oh my god this is one of the cutest things I have ever witnessed in my entire life.” Kara quietly told Lena with a cute little pout on her face as she took in the sight of Leni fast asleep on her lap.

 

“You don’t have to whisper, she’s not gonna wake up.” Lena said before placing a quick kiss on the top of Leni’s head and readjusting herself to get a little more comfortable on the couch. “Once she’s out, that’s her out unless she has a bad dream or something and wants to come into my bed with me.”

 

Lena looked down at her daughter sleeping contently in her arms before glancing over at Kara, who was currently pressed against her side with an arm draped over Lena’s shoulders, and she couldn’t quite place the feeling in her chest. It wasn’t a bad feeling, it was quite the opposite in fact. Lena liked it a lot, and she found that she didn’t ever want this moment to end. She wished that she could bottle up the feeling and keep it with her all the time, but she couldn’t so she decided to just make the most of it while it lasted.

 

“I like this.” she spoke quietly to Kara after a while of them snuggled up together watching the DVD that Lena had put on for Leni.

 

“The movie?” Kara questioned as she turned to face Lena.

 

“No, just _this._  Having you here, I don’t know what I thought it would be like, but I really like it.” she confessed.

 

“Oh.” Kara said softly. “Well, I really like it too. I’ve had a great night with you guys.” she pressed a kiss to the side of Lena’s forehead.

 

“Are you absolutely  _sure_  that you have to leave?” she half joked, flashing Kara her best pouty face in an attempt to get her to stay, even though she knew that she couldn’t.

 

“I do.” Kara told her apologetically. “I’d love to stay though, I really would, but I should get going once the movie is done.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Lena grumbled playfully, resting her head on Kara’s shoulder whilst Leni slept contently on her own chest.

 

Kara’s cab came to pick her up a little over an hour later and Lena managed to get both herself and Leni up from the couch to hug her goodbye, she desperately wanted to kiss her but Leni was sandwiched in between them and she was using both of her hands to support her sleeping body, one secured under her butt and one on her head to make sure that her neck didn’t lull to the side. She made a mental note to do it the next time they were together though.

 

When Lena went to bed that night, she slept peacefully for the first time in weeks. Her thoughts weren’t clouded with worrying about Kara or what she would say to her, she was no longer kept awake by the painful ache in her chest, or wondering if Kara would ever speak to her again. It felt good and she drifted off to sleep peacefully, slipping into a world of blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

 

 

The following week passed by much the same as the last one. Lena was busy catching up with the work that she had fallen behind on whilst simultaneously trying to keep up with all of the current meetings and such to prevent her falling even further behind. The early mornings and late nights had really helped her significantly and, much to her relief, she knew that things would be back to normal by the following week. She loved her job, she really did, but she hated the overwhelming guilt that she felt about having to leave Leni at daycare or with Sam when she had to stay late. Although, the knowledge that the weekend would be arriving in a few short hours and that she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore was comforting her greatly.

 

She hadn’t seen Kara at all throughout the week, although they had quickly slipped back into their routine of texting throughout the day and then catching up on the phone for a little while at night. Lena thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Kara’s new pup popping up during their FaceTime calls and she couldn’t wait to see them both again. She found her thoughts drifting to potential plans for the weekend as she absentmindedly signed off on a few different projects and plans that required the CEO’s signature of approval. She knew that she wanted to spend time with Leni, that was a must, she had barely seen her at all and she had promised that they would do something special over the weekend, but she had also promised to make plans with Kara and now she was stressing about juggling everything.

 

It was never something that she had to worry about, but now she felt torn. She didn’t want to just toss Leni off to the side with Sam yet again, although she knew that neither one of them minded it in the slightest. It took her longer than she cared to admit to realize that she didn’t __have__  to juggle them both. She was still in the mindset that Leni couldn’t be anywhere near Kara and herself when they were together, but that wasn’t the case any more. Assuming they were both alright with it, they could do things together. All three of them.

 

Lena made sure to keep a close eye on the clock this time so that she definitely wouldn’t be late to pick Leni up again. The closer it got to when she was supposed to leave, the slower the time seemed to be passing and she was beyond eager to get out of her office and go see her baby girl. She had a few ideas of things they could do over the weekend, but for now she was just excited to be able to spend time with her without worrying about rushing her off to bed or trying to wake her up earlier than she normally would be.

 

She actually ended up arriving in the school parking lot a little earlier than she usually did and she spent a little time sitting in the car scrolling through her various social media apps before heading inside to get Leni. Typically, Lena would be one of the last parents to arrive, mostly due to her tight schedule but also partly so that she didn’t have to deal with the judgemental glares and not so subtle whispers that the other parents often partook in when she was in their proximity.

 

Thankfully she didn’t have to stand around with the other parents casting extremely obvious glances at her for too long before the door to the classroom swung open and the sea of little kids started flooding out, running excitedly to greet their parents. Lena spotted Leni’s mess of curls immediately and smiled as she came charging towards her.

 

“Hi baby! Did you have a good day?” she asked as she scooped her up, planting a kiss on her before she could answer.

 

“I falled over.” she told Lena with a little pout as she held out her hands, palms up, revealing a few little shallow pink grazes.

 

“Oh no, how did you manage that you silly little cookie?” Lena asked as she took one of Leni’s hands in her own, gently pressing a kiss to it before returning her focus back to her little face.

 

“The silly little cookie was running and tripped over a rock.” Kara cut in as she approached them both in the hallway. “I was gonna get them to call you but it only happened like an hour ago when they were playing outside with the other classes and I knew you were busy with work, I would have called if it were serious though, I promise I would have, it just seemed like it wasn’t too big of a deal and she barely even cried, I took her to the nurse and sat with her though so that she wasn’t alone.” Kara rambled on without taking a breath.

 

“Kara, it’s alright.” Lena laughed as she reassured her. “She’s a kid, these things happen and she’s fine. Thank you for sitting with her though, that was very sweet.”

 

“It was no problem, really.” Kara told her with a smile. “I need to get going, I have a few things to get done before I go home but I’ll call you later?”

 

“Yeah that’s fine, I’ll talk to you later.” Lena smiled back.

 

They hesitated for a moment, almost going in for a hug out of habit before realizing that the eyes of Kara’s entire class and their parents were most likely on them as they opted for a polite nod of their heads instead before Kara said goodbye to a few of the other kids and then retreated back into her classroom.

 

* * *

 

The familiar ringing filled the room as Lena patiently waited on Kara answering her call. She had just put Leni down to sleep and was now settled on the couch in her pajamas, it wasn’t overly late but she was tired and wanted to give Kara a call now to sort out plans for the weekend before she ended up falling asleep and forgetting. It wasn’t long before Lena’s face shrunk down into a little square on the top left of the screen and Kara’s beaming smile came into focus.

 

“Hey! I was just about to call you!” Kara exclaimed happily as the background shifted behind her and she took a seat on what Lena recognized to be her living room couch. “I’m so excited to see you this weekend I’ve missed you!”

 

“God, I know, I’ve been so caught up at work I can’t wait to just do something fun. You’ve probably seen more of my child than I have this week.” she groaned as she massaged her temple with the hand not holding onto her phone.

 

“Don’t worry too much about that, she’s been focused in class and hasn’t been displaying any behaviour that would be a cause for concern, she’s fine Lena.” Kara assured her.

 

“Look at you with your fancy teacher talk.” Lena teased before her face softened a little. “Thank you though.”

 

“Well, it’s part of my job to notice these things, and trust me when I say that she’s completely fine. It’s good for her to see her mom working hard, she has the best role model to look up to.” Kara told her sincerely whilst Lena tried and failed to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. She justified it by insisting that it was because she was tired and it had been a long week, but Kara knew that she was just a big softie who secretly cried over cute photos of baby ducks.

 

They spoke for another little while about potential plans for the weekend. Lena’s first idea was to take a walk in the park with all three of them and Oreo, but Kara told her that she was still too young to be going out for walks like that until she’d had all of her vaccinations. Kara’s suggestion was a trip to the movie theatre but Lena knew that there was a very slim chance that Leni would actually sit through an entire movie without growing bored and wanting to go play elsewhere. They eventually settled on going swimming, Lena had told Kara how they had spent a lot of time in the pool over winter break so they decided that they would all go together and then head back to Lena’s for dinner.

 

“Oh, hey, why don’t you bring Oreo?” Lena suggested as she began to settle further into the couch, her eyelids were growing heavier but she didn’t want to hang up quite yet.

 

“Oh yeah I’m sure they would really appreciate me bringing my pup into the pool with me.” Kara laughed.

 

“I meant bring her to dinner, you dummy.” Lena clarified with a playful roll of her eyes. “We can stop by your place on the way back from the pool and you can bring her here, Leni will lose her mind and I’m dying to see her again!”

 

“She’s right here.” Kara flipped the camera and pointed it down to her lap where Lena could just make out Oreo’s little head from the little brown lump that was currently sleeping on Kara. “I’d love to bring her but are you sure it’s not too much trouble? She’s not quite toilet trained yet and I don’t want her peeing all over your floors.” Lena heard her laugh before the camera was flipped back around and Kara’s face came back into focus.

 

“Kara, I’m a mom. No amount of bodily fluids can scare me anymore.” She breathed a laugh.

 

“Okay I’ll bring her then.” Kara told her as she scrunched her face up in mock disgust at Lena’s statement.

 

They spoke for a little while longer before Kara finally insisted that Lena go get some sleep since she could barely keep her eyes open. She reluctantly agreed, and hung up with the promise of seeing Kara tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Leni was excitedly running around the living room the next day as they waited for Kara to arrive. Lena had made the mistake of filling her in on their plans a little too early and now she couldn’t get her to settle down. She had packed their swimsuits, towels and everything else that they needed into an overly large backpack which was now just beside the shoe closet so that they could easily grab it on their way out.

 

They didn’t have to wait too long before a knock sounded at the door and Leni immediately sprinted out of the living room to answer it, Lena laughed as she chased her down the hall before arriving at the door where Leni was trying her very best to reach the door handle but falling a little short as her fingertips _just_ managed to graze the cool metal.

 

“Come on babe, watch out.” Lena told her as she guided her back a little so that she would be able to actually open the door without knocking her down with it.

 

“Hey!” Kara smiled widely as the door swung open and her face came into view. She was dressed much the same as Lena, in a pair of casual jeans and a visibly well worn sweatshirt. Her hair was neatly french braided in pigtails on either side of her head and she had a bag, Lena assumed containing her swimming stuff, slung over her left shoulder.

 

Lena stepped aside to let Kara in, laughing as Kara over-enthusiastically pulled her into a hug. She felt her feet leave the floor as Kara lifted her ever so slightly, her back tilting back to put even more space between Lena’s feet and the floor and Lena’s laughter quickly turned into a scream of shock. She could hear Leni giggling away at the sight and had playfully swatted at Kara’s arm when she set her back down on the ground.

 

“God! Don’t do that you ass!” She muttered quietly, swatting Kara once again as they made their way into the living room.

 

“I’m sorry, I just missed you this week.” Kara pouted ever so slightly and Lena found herself unable to even pretend that she was mad.

 

“I missed you too.” Lena admitted with a smile.

 

She saw a subtle little glint in Kara’s eyes before they both simultaneously began moving closer. It struck Lena in that moment just how long it had been since they had kissed, and she felt her stomach flutter excitedly at the thought of Kara’s lips on her own again.

 

“Hey mommy?” Leni popped up. “Can we go now?”

 

They each jumped apart at the sudden appearance of Leni, the two of them laughing as Lena turned her attention to her.

 

“We’ll leave in a little bit, okay? I promise.” Lena told her before turning to Kara. “Do you want something to drink or anything?”

 

“Oh no I’m fine, thanks though.”

 

The three of them made their way into the living room where one of Leni’s shows was currently playing on the TV. Lena took a seat next to Kara and it wasn’t long before Leni was climbing up next to them.

 

“I like your hair.” she smiled as she gently held one of Kara’s braids in her hands.

 

“Thank you!” Kara smiled back. “I could do yours like this if you want? It stops it getting all messy when you swim.”

 

Leni’s little face lit up at the suggestion and she immediately turned to Lena for permission.

 

“Can I mommy?” she asked excitedly.

 

“Of course babe. Hold on I’ll go get your brush and spray.” Lena told her before heading through to the kitchen to grab a couple of hair ties, Leni’s brush and her detangling spray.

 

When she returned, Kara had shuffled all the way back on the couch and Leni was sitting contently in the space between Kara’s legs so that she had easy access to her hair.

 

“Here you go.” she handed over the items that she had gotten from the kitchen before sitting back down next to them on the couch.

 

Leni sat surprisingly still for Kara and within a few seconds the room was filled with the scent of berries from the spray that she was using on her hair. Kara was careful not to hurt her as she gently dragged the brush through her damp curls before parting her hair down the middle. Lena may or may not have been taking a ridiculous amount of photos of the whole thing as she watched them. Leni’s hair only just reached her shoulders so it didn’t take long for Kara to finish up.

 

“Okay, I think you’re done.” she told Leni as she lifted her down from her lap.

 

“Oh my god babe you look so cute!” Lena pulled her in to plant a quick kiss on her before taking a few more photos of just Leni.

 

“I wanna see mommy!” Leni pleaded as she tried to peek at the screen.

 

“Okay, okay, gimme a sec.” Lena laughed as she pulled her camera roll up and clicked on one of the photos.

 

Lena scrolled through them all, letting Leni hold the phone as she showed her all of the photos until she was content that she had seen them all.

 

“Thank you.” she clambered up onto the couch before wrapping her little arms around Kara in a hug.

 

“You’re very welcome.” Kara hugged her back for a moment before a flash cut through the room and she laughed at Lena, pout on her face as she held up her camera in their direction. “Hey Leni, how about I do mommy’s hair too and then we can all match?” Kara asked as she held the brush up to Lena.

 

“Oh yes!” Leni exclaimed excitedly. “Mommy you gotta do it too!”

 

Kara parted her legs once again and tossed a large cushion from the couch down onto the floor between them before patting it and telling Lena to come sit down. She locked her phone, putting it away in her pocket before making her way over and plopping down onto the floor. Leni had returned her attention back to the TV, sitting down at the other end of the living room as she waited for Lena’s hair to be done.

 

“You know, this isn’t the way I imagined you being between my legs for the first time.” Kara whispered as she gently combed through Lena’s hair.

 

“Kara!” she squawked, swatting at Kara’s shins as she struggled to come up with a reply.

 

Kara’s fingers combed rhythmically through her hair and Lena found it to be more relaxing than she thought she would. She was almost disappointed when her hands stilled and Kara announced that she was done.

 

“Thank you.” Lena turned around to face Kara from her spot on the floor. She wasn’t as skilled as Kara was at making her flustered, but she tried her very best as she rested a hand inappropriately high on the inside of each of her thighs to pull herself up to standing.

 

“Can we go now mommy?” Leni asked, tearing her attention away from the screen when she realized that Lena’s hair was finally done.

 

“Yeah babe, come on, let’s go.” she held a hand out and Leni immediately climbed down from the couch and rushed over. Lena grabbed the remote and switched off the TV before the three of them made their way back down the hall to put their coats and shoes on.

 

Lena offered to just drive them both, insisting that there was no point in Kara taking her own car when they would be coming back to the house for dinner anyway. Kara reminded her that she still had to pick Oreo up on the way home, but Lena insisted that they could stop by Kara’s place on the way back from the pool and get her. After they had each slipped their shoes and coats on, Lena gave the house a quick once over to make sure that she hadn’t left anything switched on before grabbing their bag, locking the door behind her and then heading out to the car.

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here, have some smut since it's easter

 

The smell of the chlorine filled Lena’s nose the moment they opened the door to the changing rooms and the heat enveloped them as they walked inside. Lena located one of the larger cubicles to change both herself and Leni whilst Kara slipped into the smaller one beside them. It didn’t take long for Lena to wrestle Leni into her little green bathing suit with a picture of The Little Mermaid printed on the front before she stripped off and pulled her own plain black one on herself.

 

It hit her that this would be the first time Kara would be seeing her in something so revealing and she suddenly felt insecure. It didn’t bother her too much in her regular clothes, but up close it was clear that she had given birth to her own child. She hadn’t quite lost the weight that she had gained during her pregnancy, her hips and tummy were pronounced and noticeably curvy and, while she tried her very best not to, she couldn’t help but hate the stretch marks running up from her thighs to her butt. She regretted that she hadn’t brought a t shirt or shorts to wear over her swimsuit as she not so subtly wrapped the arm that wasn’t holding onto Leni’s hand around herself in a small attempt to cover up a little.

 

Kara was already waiting for them outside of their cubicle when Lena turned the lock and opened the door. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she shamelessly ogled the figure standing before her. Kara was dressed in a light blue two piece bikini that complimented her skin tone perfectly and Lena could see the faint outline of her abs as she stood holding her bag.

 

“Hey, I found us a locker.” Kara nodded her head in the direction of the lockers stacked up against one of the walls.

 

Lena couldn’t tear her eyes away as Kara walked a few steps ahead of them both, leading them towards the empty locker where they could safely store their things. Her back muscles were pronounced and her backside was perfectly rounded and Lena had to swallow roughly against the sudden dryness in her mouth. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that a teacher who eats at least triple the recommended calorie intake per day could look the way Kara did. She almost had an aneurysm when Kara crouched down and started packing her things away into one of the lockers on the bottom row.

 

“Mommy!” Leni’s voice snapped her out of her Kara in a bikini induced daze and she realized that Kara had been talking to her.

 

“What?” Lena asked as Leni tugged gently on her hand.

 

“I asked for the bag.” Kara laughed as she stretched a hand out to take the bag from Lena.

 

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Lena slipped it down from her shoulders before handing it over to Kara. “Wait, I gotta grab her armbands.” she took the bag back from Kara, pulling out Leni’s little orange armbands from one of the zipped up compartments before passing the bag back over to Kara who locked it away safely with her own things. Lena found the little plastic hole in one of the armbands and began blowing it up as fast as she could.

 

“Here, I’ll do the other one.” Kara told her as she stood up from the floor and took the other armband from Lena.

 

It didn’t take long before they were sliding the fully inflated bands onto each of Leni’s arms. Lena helped her secure her goggles over her eyes and then the three of them headed to the pool, one of Leni’s hands in each of theirs.

 

There was a large pool over to the right filled with people splashing around and squealing happily in the water, but Lena was relieved to see the smaller looking kiddie pool over to her left. It was still a large pool, but it wasn’t anywhere near as deep as the other one appeared to be, and she was relieved to see that it was somewhat empty compared to the other one. They made their way over and Lena climbed down into the pool first, the water barely came up to her knees before she walked in a little deeper and sat down. Kara passed Leni down to her from the side of the pool, making sure that Lena had her, before climbing in herself.

 

Leni’s feet could still reach the bottom from where Lena was sitting, so she felt comfortable enough to let her swim around on her own, knowing that the armbands would keep her afloat anyway. She turned just in time to see Kara making her way over and once again, she found herself unable to stop ogling her.

 

“Eyes up, soldier.” Kara winked as she spotted Lena shamelessly checking her out.

 

“I-.. Sorry.” Lena blushed lightly, looking away in an attempt to hide the clear embarrassment on her face from being caught.

 

“Don’t be sorry, I’ve been doing the same to you, I just can’t have you looking at me like that when we need to behave.” Kara lowered her voice as she sat down beside her.

 

Lena visibly gulped and she knew by the smirk on Kara’s face that she had heard her. She was beginning to realize that Kara seemed to thoroughly enjoy teasing her, and she wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing yet. She had a feeling it might be both.

 

They spent the better part of an hour swimming around with Leni, she giggled wildly when Kara snuck up on her under the water before lifting her out as she shot up. Lena watched them both from the side, more than happy to simply enjoy the sight of them getting along so well. Every time Leni laughed at Kara, Lena felt her heart swell and she couldn’t help but swim over to join them when Kara pulled Leni up onto her back and began swimming around with her as she screamed and giggled. All three of them were more than ready to head back to Lena’s place to start getting dinner ready, Leni was getting sleepy and Lena knew that if she didn’t get her out of the pool soon then she would end up taking her nap there.

 

They stopped briefly in the showers to rinse the pool water off of them before heading back to the locker to get their stuff. Lena thanked Kara as she passed the large bag containing Leni’s and her own towel and clothes before waiting on Kara collecting her own stuff.

 

“I want my own room too mommy!” Leni called out as she watched Kara step into a cubicle separate from the one that they were going into.

 

“Babe I gotta dry you and then get you dressed, you need to come with me.” Lena told her as she tried to slip into the larger cubicle that they had previously gotten changed in.

 

Leni pulled her hand away and Lena could see in her eyes that there was about to be a massive meltdown heading her way if she didn’t calm her down in the next few seconds.

 

“Leni I’m not messing around, come on, come with me.” Lena told her as she tried to take her hand once again only for Leni to jump back whilst Kara watched from a few steps behind.

 

“Mommy I want my own! Please!” she began to raise her voice.

 

“Elena Elizabeth Luthor you are going to come in here with mommy and let me dry you off, I’m not arguing with you.” Lena told her sternly, reaching out a hand once again.

 

Leni relented and pouted as she grabbed onto Lena’s hand and let her take her into the cubicle. Kara waited until she knew they were safely in their own one before heading into her own to get changed.

 

“I just wanted to be a big girl.” Leni grumbled as Lena, currently wrapped in a towel over her own swimsuit, began drying her off.

 

“You are a big girl babe, there’s just some things that mommy still has to help you with, it doesn’t mean you’re not a big girl.” Lena told her as she pulled out her folded up clothes from the bag.

 

She knew that Leni could most likely put them on herself and that she didn’t actually _need_ Lena for this part, but as silly as it sounded, it meant her little baby was growing up and Lena wasn’t quite ready for that yet. Although the pout Leni still wore on her face was pretty convincing and Lena found herself unable to deny her what she wanted.

 

“Okay, how about I let you go into the one right next to me and put your own clothes on?” she asked Leni as she turned around.

 

“Yes mommy! Please! Mommy please!” Leni called out excitedly.

 

“Okay, come on then.” Lena wrapped her up in a towel once again before leading her into the little cubicle right beside her own. “You tell me if you need help with anything, okay? I’ll be right next door.”

 

“Okay mommy.” Leni smiled as Lena pulled the door closed.

 

She almost yelped in surprise as she stepped back into her own cubicle and felt a tug on her arm. She whirled around and came face to face with Kara, who barely gave her a moment to register what was happening before she was backing her against the wall.

 

“I was so hoping you would do that.” she whispered into her ear before claiming Lena’s lips with her own.

 

Lena’s brain was a few seconds behind and she couldn’t quite catch up with what was happening. The soft, warm pressure of Kara’s lips was all she could focus on and it kept her anchored in the moment. She had to suppress a groan when she felt Kara’s hands slide up beneath the towel and hold firmly onto her soft hips over the material of her swimsuit. It wasn’t until Lena tried to run her tongue along Kara’s bottom lip that Kara pulled away, panting for breath as she eyed Lena.

 

“If we don’t stop now we’re not leaving here any time soon, and I don’t think that’s the best idea given the fact that your child is right next door.” Kara whispered into her ear before placing a quick kiss on her neck and moving back. She unlocked the door and slipped out with a teasing wink, leaving Lena flushed, panting for air and still struggling to catch up with everything against the wall of the cubicle.

 

Leni passed out almost immediately after they had gotten into the car. She had been semi successful in dressing herself, but Lena had over praised her for it anyway and she seemed extremely proud of herself when she had emerged in her backwards t shirt.

 

“I’ll stay here with her.” Lena told Kara as they pulled up outside her apartment building and gestured to the backseat where Leni was sleeping contently.

 

“Okay, I’ll only be a few minutes.” Kara promised as she leaned over the armrest console and pressed a quick kiss to Lena’s lips before opening the car door and rushing into her building.

 

Lena didn’t have to wait for long before she saw Kara emerge from the building with Oreo clutched in her arms, the cute little pink collar that they had picked out together fastened around her neck.

 

“Hey buddy!” Lena cooed when Kara pulled the door open and sat back down in the front seat.

 

Oreo immediately began jumping around, hopping from Kara’s lap into Lena’s before attacking her face with kisses.

 

“I think she missed you.” Kara laughed as she took in the sight before her.

 

“Oh gosh I missed her too, she’s grown so much!” Lena laughed as Oreo began licking her face once again.

 

“Alright, come on you.” Kara said as she reached over and lifted the over excited pup from Lena’s lap and settled her back down on her own. “You gotta let Lena drive, and she can’t drive if you’re all excited like this!”

 

They made it back to Lena’s house not long after, and they each had full hands as they approached the door. Kara was holding her bag and Oreo, and Lena had a sleeping Leni carefully propped up against her shoulder as she skillfully extracted the house key from her back pocket and passed it over to Kara to open it up for her.

 

“I’m just gonna put her down on the couch, she’ll be awake soon.” Lena told Kara as she headed into the living room and lay Leni down carefully before putting a few cushions at her side just in case she rolled over.

 

“Hey, do you have a bowl that I could fill with water for her?” Kara asked once Lena returned from putting Leni down. Oreo was padding around at their feet with a toy hanging out of her mouth that Lena guessed Kara must have brought with her.

 

“Oh yeah sure, do you need anything else for her?” Lena asked as she located a large plastic bowl for Oreo from one of her cupboards and passing it over to Kara.

 

“No this is fine, thank you.” she smiled before heading over to the sink and filling up the bowl with a little bit of water before setting it on the ground.

 

The kitchen was filled with the low humming of the water boiling in the kettle as Lena pulled out two clean mugs from the draining board by the sink and set about making them each a cup of tea. She let Kara put their milk and sugar in whilst she headed into the large pantry to grab a pack of biscuits for them to share and they sat on the stools at the kitchen island working their way through the pack as they just enjoyed one anothers company.

 

“I was thinking we could just order takeout for dinner if that’s alright with you?” Lena asked as she finished up the last of her tea. “I really can’t be bothered cooking anything.”

 

“Yeah that’s fine, I’m happy with whatever you guys want. I’ll eat anything.” Kara breathed a laugh.

 

Once they had finished up in the kitchen, they headed back through to the living room where Leni was still sleeping soundly on her spot on the couch. Lena switched the TV on for Kara before passing her the remote over and then making her way over to where Leni was and gently waking her up.

 

“Hey babe, we have a surprise visitor who came to see you.” she whispered once Leni’s little eyes had fluttered open.

 

Lena gave her a few moments to fully wake up before Kara gave a quiet whistle and Oreo came bounding excitedly in from the kitchen.

 

“A puppy!” Leni exclaimed as she watched Oreo running around the room before spotting Leni and heading over to her, toy still hanging out of her mouth.

 

“Oh look babe, she’s trying to share her toy with you!” Lena told her as she watched Oreo nuzzle the rope toy into Leni’s leg.

 

“She’s funny mommy!” Leni giggled before slipping off the couch and taking a seat down on the large fluffy rug laying across the floor. “Is she your puppy?” Leni asked Kara as Oreo began sniffing at her.

 

“She is! She’s pretty cute huh? Her name is Oreo, just like the cookie!” Kara told her with a smile before slipping down from her seat and joining Leni on the floor.

 

“I love cookies!” Leni gushed as she shuffled a little closer to where Kara was sitting.

 

“I love them too.” Kara agreed. “They’re delicious.”

 

They spent a little time rolling around the floor with Oreo, Lena had been a little worried about the fact that Leni had never really properly been around a dog before but she quickly realized that she had been worried for nothing. Leni really seemed to love the little hyperactive puppy running around and slobbering kisses on her face, and Oreo seemed to be enjoying it too. They had taken quickly to one another, and Lena couldn’t bring herself to separate them when their pizza arrived for dinner.

 

She ate her own up on the couch with Kara, occasionally feeding Leni a few bites from her slice as she continued to happily roll around with Oreo. She was thankful that she wouldn’t need a bath tonight given the fact that they had gone swimming, because Lena knew that it would be a struggle to get her away from the pup long enough to actually put her in the bath tub.

 

Once they had finished up their food, Lena switched the TV over to a movie and curled up with Kara whilst Leni and Oreo continued to play on the rug. It was dark outside now and the only light in the room came from the soft glow of the screen as it illuminated just enough of the space for them to be able to see what they were doing on the floor without the risk of blindly bumping into the corner of the coffee table.

 

Lena’s legs were resting across Kara’s lap, her head on her chest as she contently watched the movie playing on the screen. Kara was drawing mindless patterns up and down the expanse of her leg and she really didn’t want her to leave tonight. The day had been perfect, and Lena mentally kicked herself for resisting this for so long, for being so worried about Leni and Kara spending time together outwith the classroom.

 

“Hey, can you spend the night?” Lena asked quietly once Kara had turned to face her.

 

“I mean I have the dog and everything, isn’t that a little too much of a hassle?” Kara questioned, never stopping the movement of her fingers on Lena’s leg.

 

“It’s fine if you want to go home, but I really don’t mind having you both here for the night. I think it would be fun.” Lena assured her. “You can have one of my shirts to sleep in, it’s not a problem.”

 

“Okay, then yeah, I’d love to stay.” Kara smiled before gently pressing her lips to Lena’s.

 

“Hey babe, you want to have a sleepover with Oreo tonight?” Lena called over to Leni at the other end of the living room, who gasped excitedly upon hearing the question.

 

“Yes! Please!” she jumped up before rushing over to the two of them, the little pup following closely behind her. “Will you stay too?” she asked Kara.

 

“Of course kiddo!”

 

Oreo ended up hopping into Leni’s bed that night when both Lena and Kara were saying goodnight to her, and after listening to her beg for a good ten minutes, they relented and let Oreo spend the night in Leni’s bed with her. When they arrived in her own bedroom, Lena tossed Kara one of her larger sleep shirts from the top drawer of her dresser to change into as she shyly headed into the bathroom and stripped her clothes from the day off before pulling her own sleep shirt over her head.

 

She switched the lights off and made her way over to the bed where Kara was already waiting for her beneath the covers. She had never had anyone other than Leni share this bed with her before, and it felt a little weird, although definitely not unwelcome. Lena pulled her side of the covers back before slipping in and getting comfortable. She felt Kara scoot up behind her, taking up the position of the big spoon as they fit themselves together.

 

“Hey, is this alright?” Kara asked, feeling the way Lena’s body tensed up when she wrapped her arm around her.

 

“I-.. Yeah.. It’s just.. Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” Lena weakly insisted.

 

“Lena.” Kara spoke softly but it was enough for Lena to turn around to face her before they each sat up, backs against the headboard. “Is this too much for you? Do you need me to go home? You don’t have to worry about hurting my feelings, you can be honest with me, I just don’t want you to shut me out.”

 

“No, it’s not.. It’s nothing like that. I’m glad you’re here, it’s just..” Lena paused to take a breath before talking again. “It was just when you put your hand on my stomach, I’m not.. I never really lost a lot of the weight that I gained when I was pregnant and-..”

 

“Okay, stop right there.” Kara cut her off. “You are beautiful and sexy and one of the most attractive people I have ever laid eyes on, if me touching you there makes you uncomfortable then of course I won’t do it, but I don’t have a problem with your body. You’re perfect exactly the way you are.”

 

Lena looked entirely unconvinced and Kara went quiet for a moment before scooting a little further down the bed and laying her head on the pillow once again. She angled her body towards Lena before hovering a hand above her stomach and raising her eyebrows in a silent question. Lena nodded her consent before Kara gently placed her hand down.

 

“Lena, you created and carried a life in here! Do you know how incredible that is? You actually made a beautiful, intelligent, incredibly kind and hilarious little girl right in here.” Kara praised as she gently stroked her thumb over Lena’s t shirt. “You did that and it’s not something to be ashamed about. I could barely keep it together today when I saw you come out of the changing room, you’re so beautiful Lena and I really, really want to hold you but if you’re still not comfortable with it I completely understand.”

 

Lena was still for a few moments before she shuffled down and settled against Kara once again, she silently reached around for her hand and laced her fingers with her own before letting them settle on her stomach where they had been previously.

 

“Thank you.” she whispered after a little while of silence.

 

“You’re more than welcome.” Kara leaned over to press a soft kiss to her cheek before they drifted off to sleep, contently wrapped up in one another.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol nope april fools no smut today go read a bible


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took a few days i wanted to get my other fic finished so that i could fully focus on this one, enjoyyyy

 

 

When Lena woke the next morning she allowed herself a moment to just bask in the feeling of contentment that was currently washing over her in light waves before she had to open her eyes and face the day. She felt safe and secure and she part of her wished that she could bottle up this feeling and carry it around with her at all times. Judging by the warmth beneath her cheek, she guessed that her head must be pillowed on Kara’s chest and she found herself nuzzling in a little more, the smell of Kara all around her was immensely comforting and she didn’t want to ever move. It took her a few more moments to register the light scratching of Kara’s nails against her scalp and she hummed contently before her eyes fluttered open and she angled her head to look up at Kara’s face.

 

“Hi.” she smiled softly, voice slightly rougher than usual given the fact that she had just woken up. From the way that Kara startled and tried to pull her hand away, Lena guessed that she hadn’t intended to wake her. “No don’t.” Lena stopped her before she could completely pull her hand away. “It feels nice.”

 

“Did you sleep alright?” Kara questioned softly as she resumed lightly scratching at Lena’s scalp.

 

“Mhm.” she hummed in reply. “Did you?”

 

“I did.” Kara smiled back.

 

They lay together for a few more long minutes, giving themselves a chance to fully wake up before clambering out of the warmth of Lena’s bed. The sun was just barely peeking through the gap in the curtains so Lena knew that it was still early, but her body clock had grown so accustomed to waking up for Leni that she struggled to sleep in even when she knew that she had nowhere to be. Once Kara was up and out of the bed too, Lena quickly lifted the thick white quilt up, giving it a little shake before setting it back down flat on top of her bed and taking a moment to adjust her pillows.

 

“If you wanna shower or anything then feel free, I’m gonna go get started on breakfast.” Lena told her with a yawn as she made her way over to the window and pulled the curtains wide. The sound of metal on metal as the grommets lightly scraped across the pole sounded throughout the room before it immediately flooded with light, the early morning sun streaming in through the large window that overlooked the backyard and casting a warm orange glow onto them.

 

“Actually, I was thinking that maybe you could shower or do whatever you need to do and I’ll make breakfast?” Kara offered up as she stepped up behind Lena and wrapped her arms around her waist. Her chin fit perfectly into the space where her shoulder met her neck and they stood at the window watching a couple of birds fly around for a few moments.

 

Lena hadn’t had anyone make breakfast for her in her own home since she had moved in here almost four years ago, she was a little hesitant given the fact that Kara had never cooked anything for her before and she had no idea if she even _could_  cook, but she had to admit that the idea sounded great and she really did want to shower.

 

“Are you sure that you don’t need help with anything? We can make it together if you want?” Lena offered up as she turned in Kara’s arms to face her.

 

“No it’s fine don’t worry, I’ll figure out where everything is. Let me make breakfast for you guys, you go take a shower.” Kara insisted, placing a quick kiss on Lena’s cheek before heading out of the door and down into the kitchen to get started on their meal.

 

“Oh, uh, Leni doesn’t like butter on her toast!” Lena called out to Kara after she had disappeared from the room.

 

“Okay, no butter on the kid’s toast, got it!” Kara called back from the hallway and Lena listened to her feet descend the staircase before she headed into the bathroom and began stripping off to shower.

 

Once she emerged back out into her room, the smell of whatever Kara was making downstairs immediately filled her senses and Lena felt her stomach grumble a little. She quickly dried off and dressed herself before padding down the hall into Leni’s room. She was still fast asleep, cuddled up with her little stuffed penguin and Lena almost screamed when Oreo’s little head popped up from beneath the covers, she had completely forgotten about the pup and her presence startled her for a moment before she watched the little brown ball of fuzz shuffle over a little closer to Leni and settle back down again. She decided to leave them to sleep for a little while longer and made her way down the stairs in the direction of the mouth-watering smell that was wafting throughout the entire house from the kitchen.

 

“Hey, perfect timing.” Kara greeted her with a smile as she made her way over to the island and pulled up a stool. “Here, good morning.” she set down a mug of steaming hot coffee on the counter in front of her before gently pressing her lips against Lena’s and then pulling away to resume cooking whatever she was making.

 

“It smells so good in here.” Lena praised as she inhaled the scent of the food.

 

“I’m surprised Oreo hasn’t come down to check everything out, she’s usually right at my feet the moment I open the refrigerator.” Kara laughed as she began scooping some scrambled egg onto three different plates.

 

“She was curled up with Leni when I popped my head in to check up on them, I guess she was just too cozy to get up.” Lena told her with a laugh.

 

They talked for a little while until Kara had fully cooked the bacon and began adding it to the plates already containing the eggs that she had made previously and a few slices of toast that had just popped out of the toaster. After assuring Lena that she didn’t need any help bringing everything through to the dining room, Lena headed back upstairs to wake Leni up before carrying her down to the table where their breakfast was sitting waiting for them along with a large patterned glass jug of orange juice that Lena couldn’t even remember buying.

 

“Oh, did you need any food for the dog? I can run to the store if you want?” Lena asked as she settled down on the chair with Leni still half asleep on her lap and Oreo sniffing around at their feet.

 

“No it’s alright, she gets a little fussy in the car sometimes so I keep a bag of food in there for her, thank you though.” Kara smiled as they each tucked into their breakfast.

 

It took Leni a few minutes to wake up a little more, but once she did she shuffled over into her own seat and began eating her own plate of breakfast that Kara had prepared for her. They each complimented Kara on the food and made small talk as they ate. Leni was babbling on about the most random of topics and both Lena and Kara were more than content to eat in silence and listen to her, asking the occasional question before she went off on a tangent.

 

Kara stayed for another few hours, she helped Lena wash up the dishes and tidy up everything from breakfast before they headed outside into the back yard to play for a little while. It was still extremely cold out and Leni was bundled up adorably in a thick bubble jacket with cute little mittens that Lena had insisted that she wear. She laughed expectantly as Leni made a B-line for the swing set the moment she stepped out of the house and immediately clambered up into the seat. Lena felt all warm and fuzzy inside as she took in the sight of Kara gently swinging her back and forth whilst Leni giggled wildly and demanded to go higher. Oreo was sniffing curiously around the garden, stopping occasionally to inspect a specific area in the grass a little more closely before taking off again.

 

Lena couldn’t help but feel that the house felt oddly empty after Kara and Oreo left, she had really enjoyed spending a little more time with both Kara and Leni together and it helped settle any fears that she had about things not working out or Leni being negatively affected by the whole situation. Plus, Oreo was beyond adorable and that always helped things.

 

* * *

 

Lena was mindlessly scrolling through her emails during her lunch break and happened upon one that she immediately recognized as being from Kara’s work email address. She immediately opened it up and took a little time to read through it, Lena guessed from the way it was formally worded that it had most likely been sent along to all of the other parents too. It was a simple task, asking each child to attend school on Valentines day with a homemade card that they would give out to a classmate, if each child made one then that meant that each child received one and Kara also added that as long as every parent consented to it, she had some candy to pass out to the kids. Lena found the whole thing completely adorable, it was just so perfectly Kara and she was looking forward to helping Leni make the card that she would take to school. It wasn’t until that moment that Lena realized she should most definitely get a card and maybe a little something else for Kara.

 

Later that day found her pushing a shopping cart with Leni sitting contently in the seat through the isles of one of the supermarkets near her house. She was in the arts and crafts section helping Leni pick out a few different fun things that she could use whilst making her card. So far, they had managed to pick up some paints, a variety of different colored glitter pens, a pack of pom poms and some glue sticks. They had more stuff at home, and Lena knew that they had definitely picked up more than what they would need but seeing how excited Leni got at the sheer prospect of being able to use everything was worth the mess that Lena knew was coming.

 

When she was sure that they had everything they could possibly ever need, they began heading to the checkout. A wall of cards caught Lena’s eye on the way and she whirled the cart around and began heading in the direction of them. There was a large variety of Valentines day cards decorating the shelves and she spent a moment mulling over them whilst Leni played with the unopened back of pom poms. Lena’s eyes took in the words on the cards raging from girlfriend and boyfriend ones to husband and wife, there were a ton to choose from and it struck her in that moment that she and Kara hadn’t actually labeled their relationship.

 

She didn’t want to jump ahead of things and get a card with a specific label on it when she wasn’t entirely sure herself, she knew it was something that they would have to talk about, but an idea popped into her head in that moment and she wheeled the cart away from the wall of cards before heading to the checkout to pay for the things that they were purchasing.

 

Leni was asleep when the car pulled up in the driveway a little while later and Lena unloaded each of the plastic shopping bags from the trunk of her car before carrying her into the house and setting her down on the couch. She spent a little time on her phone scrolling through different ideas and looking for inspiration for her own Valentines idea before Leni woke up and she had to turn her attention back to her and making sure that she didn’t make too much of an extreme mess.

 

While she was sleeping, Lena brought all of Leni’s arts and crafts things through to the playroom and began to set them up for her. It was the only room in the house that didn’t have expensive wooden flooring or easily stained carpets, instead it had a cheap vinyl flooring that was completely covered up by the soft foam jigsaw mats that Lena had put down before Leni was born. It was helpful to have an area like that when she was learning to crawl and walk, Lena didn’t have to worry about her hurting herself if she were to fall over, and now it was just handy to have because it was easy to clean.

 

The room was filled with Leni’s toys and books, she had baskets and boxes that she kept each of her toys in and her books were lined up neatly on the mini book shelf. There was a large plastic kitchen set up along one of the walls complete with a fake oven and sink and Leni spent hours upon hours playing with it.

 

Lena figured that sheets of plain card would be a little more sturdier than sheets of paper if they were going to be painting on them, so she brought a stack through and placed them on the floor along with the paints and other items that they had bought earlier in the day before heading back through to the living room to wake Leni. When she found out Lena’s plan for the rest of the day, she was immediately up from her spot on the couch and rushing down the hallway on the way to the playroom. Lena followed closely behind, laughing at her little legs running as fast as they could.

 

“Are you gonna make one mommy?” Leni questioned as she watched Lena settle down on the floor beside her and reach for a piece of card.

 

“I sure am, babe. I can’t let you have all fun.” Lena laughed in reply.

 

She folded her own piece of card in half before grabbing a pair of kids safety scissors and doing her very best to cut it into a heart shape. It actually looked better than she thought, and she was content to start decorating it. A glace over at Leni was all it took for a burst of laughter to escape Lena’s mouth. It had been barely ten minutes and she was already covered in pink paint and what Lena assumed must be glitter from the pens that she had purchases earlier.

 

“You having fun babe?” she asked with a smirk, pulling her phone out to take a few photos of the mess that was currently her daughter.

 

“Mm hmm.” Leni hummed in reply. All of her focus was on the piece of card that she was currently painting a mixture of both red and pink.

 

Lena decided to just leave her to it, she could clean up the mess afterwards and she set about working on her own card. Stealing the idea from Leni, she grabbed a paintbrush and began painting the white of the card a light baby pink color. She selected one of the red glitter pens once she was done and began haphazardly drawing out a few little hearts on top of the pink. Lena blew gently on it, watching Leni make her own card as she waited for the paint on hers to dry. By the time they were both done, each of them were covered in a variety of different colored paints and glitter. It had stained their clothes and managed to creep up into their hair, more so Leni’s than Lena’s, but she was she had some in her own if the way the strands were stuck to her face was any indication.

 

She set their cards down on the kitchen counter to allow them to fully dry, making sure to keep them away from anything that could possibly spill or damage them, before Lena started to clean up. She took Leni straight upstairs to the bath tub, not even willing to attempt cleaning the mess of glitter and paint off of her anywhere else in the house. She left the playroom until Leni was in bed, heading down with the vacuum and a mop to tidy the rest of the mess. It actually didn’t take her as long as she thought it would and she was relieved that she didn’t have to stay up too much later than she normally would.

 

* * *

 

Leni had picked out a beautiful little pink dress for Valentines day and Lena was currently in the kitchen doing her hair with matching colored clips. She asked for it to be left down today instead of brushed up out of the way in her usual ponytail, and while Lena was already dreading the messy tangle of curls that she knew she would have to deal with when she got home, she brushed Leni’s hair and left it down like she had requested.

 

Once she double checked that Leni had her lunch box and everything that she needed for school that day, Lena grabbed their homemade cards from the counter and crouched down in front of Leni.

 

“Okay babe, you remember what we talked about?” she asked as she held the two cards in front of her.

 

“Yeah mommy.” Leni nodded her confirmation.

 

“So, who do you give this card to?” Lena questioned as she set Leni’s down and held up the one that she herself had made.

 

“I give it to Miss Danvers.” Leni recited.

 

“Okay good.” Lena kissed her quickly before zipping the cards up carefully in her backpack. “Gosh, you look so beautiful!”

 

“Thanks mommy.” Leni smiled as she looked down at her dress.

 

Lena had her stand in front of the plain wall in the hallway so that she could take a few photos of her in her dress before she grabbed their coats and they headed into the car.

 

She had to admit that part of her was worried about the card that she had made actually making it to Kara, was she putting too much faith in her easily distracted three year old? She guessed that she would just have to wait and see.

 

 


	29. Chapter 29

 

 

“Okay guys, I want you all to bring your cards up here and give them to me so that I can make sure everyone gets a different one from the one that they made before they go home today!” Kara announced to the class with a smile a few minutes before the bell sounded for home time at the end of the day.

 

She thanked each of the kids as they lined up with their adorably made little cards and began passing them over to her. There were a ton of different ones, ranging from cutely drawn hearts to full blown color explosions and Kara’s heart melted a little at the sight of each and every one of them.

 

“This one is for you.” a little voice drew her attention away from the table that she was currently stacking the cards up on so that she could sort them before passing them back out. “It’s from mommy.” Leni told her when Kara turned around to face her.

 

“It is?” Kara questioned as she crouched down to her level, smiling at the way Leni nodded enthusiastically. “Thank you so much sweetie!”

 

She smiled down at the little pink heart shaped card in her hand, it was clear that it was a little above the average pre school level of art so Kara assumed that Lena must have made it herself and she carefully set it aside on her desk to make sure that it didn’t get mixed up with the others. Once they were organized, she spent a little time passing out the cards along with a little bag of candy for each of the kids, who excitedly began gushing over them and Kara couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer happiness on all of their faces.

 

“Hey, I made that one!” Kara heard Leni happily tell one of the girls currently seated at her table as she spotted her card. “Mommy helped me!”

 

* * *

 

When Lena arrived outside of the classroom to pick Leni up there were already a few parents waiting around for their kids. She was a little anxious to hear about whether or not the card that she had made found it’s way safely to Kara, when the classroom door opened and the kids began flooding out. She knew that something was wrong the moment that she spotted Kara’s face at the door, but before she had the chance to ask if everything was alright, Kara was calling one of the other parents into the classroom and closed the door behind her after shooting Lena a quick look that she couldn’t quite decipher.

 

“Mommy!” Leni came rushing down the hallway and all but crashed full speed into her legs.

 

It wasn’t until Lena reached down to scoop her up that she realized she was crying. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and her face was tinged with red in the places that she had evidently been attempting to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

 

“Oh my gosh babe what happened?” Lena asked her, shock evident in her voice as she took in the sight of her face. “All you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” her eyes gave her a quick once over in an attempt to locate any bumps or bruises that may be responsible for her crying.

 

“No mommy.” she told her with a shake of her head.

 

“What happened then baby? You can tell mommy.” Lena told her softly as she wiped away a stray tear.

 

Before Leni could reply, the door to the classroom opened once again and Kara’s eyes immediately fell on Lena before beckoning her inside. Lena could feel the other parent’s eyes on her as she made her way down the hall and into the classroom with Leni still somewhat crying in her arms. The first thing Lena noticed when she stepped inside was that the parents that had previously been called into the classroom were still there, standing with their daughter as all three of them looked at Lena with disdain.

 

“What’s going on?” she completely disregarded the other parents in favor of turning to Kara.

 

“Well, we had a little bit of an incident with Brooke.” Kara began to explain in her most professional teacher voice.

 

“It was hardly an incident.” the mother on the other side of the room cut her off. “My daughter is entitled to her own thoughts and feelings and you can’t punish her for that.”

 

Lena still had no idea what was happening as she adjusted Leni in her arms, settling her a little more securely on her hip as she placed a quick kiss on her still reddened cheek before turning her attention back to the conversation.

 

“I completely understand that, and while each and every child is entitled to their thoughts and feelings, I don’t condone expressing them when they could be considered harmful to one of my other pupils.” Kara told the woman. She appeared significantly calm on the outside but Lena knew from the little crinkle that had appeared between her eyebrows that Kara was struggling to keep her cool.

 

“Oh please, you only want to punish my child because your bed buddy over there wouldn’t tolerate her precious little angel being punished now would she!” the other woman exclaimed, grabbing her daughter’s hand and leading her out of the room as her husband followed closely behind before either one of them had a chance to retaliate.

 

Lena stood frozen to the spot for a moment, anxiety bubbling up inside her as her chest tightened almost painfully.

 

“Are you gonna tell me what the heck happened?” she turned to Kara, frustration audible in her voice.

 

“She called you bad, mommy!” Leni exclaimed angrily, little eyebrows furrowed.

 

“When Brooke found out that the card she had received was Leni’s she didn’t want it.” Kara told her tentatively. “She told Leni that you were bad and that she wouldn’t take the card. I called her mother in here to ask about how she feels we should move forward, but evidently she doesn’t think that there was anything wrong with what happened so now I’ll have to inform the principal and let her deal with it.”

 

Lena was quiet for a moment, her anxiety was quickly replaced by an angry fire burning up inside of her. She didn’t care what people had to say about her, she knew that there were people out there who disliked her because of her family’s wrongdoings, but she had a problem with her daughter being dragged into it. Leni was innocent, born into a family that had a history that neither Lena or Leni had a say in. She swallowed roughly, aware that Leni was still in her arms and willed herself to calm down.

 

“Are you okay?” Kara asked softly, all traces of professionalism gone from her voice as she edged closer to Lena.

 

“I’m fine.” Lena nodded, plastering a smile onto her face that she knew Kara saw right through. “We can talk later when we’re alone, I promise.” she assured her, wanting Kara to know that she wasn’t trying to shut her out this time, she just didn’t want Leni hearing any more of the conversation. “I’m gonna take this little munchkin out for a special Valentines day ice cream, and I’ll see you later? Assuming you got the card?”

 

“I did, Leni delivered it right to me.” Kara told her with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”

 

Lena left the classroom seething with rage, although feeling a little relief knowing that at least the card had made it to Kara. Despite the frustration she still felt, she found herself smiling a little as she recalled what she had written.

 

_Hey Miss Danvers, do you like science? Because I’ve got my ion you!_

_Dinner tonight at 8? My treat._

_\- Hopefully your Valentine, L. Xx_

 

Unbeknownst to her, Kara had laughed so hard at the ridiculous science pun that she’d had to leave the class with the assistant teacher so that she could go get a glass of water to calm herself down after her laughter had turned into a coughing fit.

 

* * *

 

“I’m proud of you, you know.” Lena told Leni over a ridiculously large ice cream sundae as they sat in the booth by the window at one of their favorite little diners later that day. “Sometimes other kids will be mean and it will make you sad, but you did the right thing telling Kara what was wrong.”

 

“You’re not bad mommy.” Leni looked up from where she was currently spooning her ice cream out of the large glass cup after Lena had finished speaking.

 

“I know that babe, but some people don’t see things the same way that we do, and it’s okay to have different thoughts and feelings on things, but you have to be nice about it. What happened today wasn’t very nice, but you were a very big girl and you made me a very proud mommy.”

 

They spent a little time eating their ice cream, Leni didn’t finish hers, she never did. There was always just a little too much in the glass and Lena always helped her when it started to melt and became difficult to scoop up with her spoon. Lena had initially planned to take Kara out to a restaurant for dinner, but she was still a little upset about what had happened at school and she wanted to make sure Leni was alright, so she opted to make dinner for them at her place after Leni had gone to bed.

 

After texting Kara to make sure that she was alright with the change of plans, Lena stopped by the grocery store with Leni on the way home to pick up a few things. She avoided telling her that Kara would be stopping by dinner that evening, knowing full well that there was no chance Leni would go to bed without a fight, and if she stayed up then Lena wouldn’t be able to say what she needed to say to Kara. They paid and packed up the groceries before heading back to the car and driving home.

 

* * *

 

Lena may or may not be feeling a little guilty about putting Leni down to sleep an hour or so early that night, she was too young to be able to tell the difference and she really needed the extra cooking time to prepare the meal that she was making for her and Kara without Leni catching on that it wasn’t just Lena’s dinner that she was making. She had set the table much in the same way that she had the last time Kara was here for dinner, but decided to forgo the fancy outfit given the fact that it was late and she told Kara not to dress up anyway.

 

Lena was just finishing up bringing the food through to the table when she heard the front door open and knew that it was Kara arriving. She had told her not to knock, not wanting to risk the small chance that Leni would hear and wake up. After making sure everything looked alright, she left the dining room and headed out into the hallway where Kara was approaching with a warm smile and a bunch of roses not so subtly hidden behind her back.

 

“Hey, happy Valentine’s day.” Lena greeted her happily.

 

“Happy Valentine’s day.” Kara told her as she brought the flowers around from behind her back before pulling Lena into tight one armed hug. “Are you alright?” she asked quietly, voice slightly muffled but still audible as she spoke into Lena’s hair.

 

“Yeah I think so, I mean.. That woman had absolutely no business saying what she said about us, and I feel bad that she accused you of showing favoritism, but I’m alright.” Lena assured her when they pulled away. “Are you okay? You seemed a little stressed out but I didn’t want to say anything in front of the kids.”

 

“I just.. I didn’t know what you meant about people being so mean! I mean, I understood, I know that it happens, but actually seeing that kid be raised in a family where they’re teaching her hatred like that, it hurts! I feel like I understand where you’re coming from a lot more now, seeing Leni get so upset about it really got to me and I can only imagine how you must feel on a daily basis about the whole thing.” Kara admitted as they made their way through to the dining room. “I understand your need to protect her, it just made me angry that I couldn’t do anything more to help.”

 

“Kara, that’s not your responsibility! You did what you were supposed to do, it’s just part of being a Luthor I guess, it’s not something that can be prevented, I just have to do my best to make sure that my daughter grows up knowing her worth.” Lena replied, smiling as Kara pulled her chair out for her before sitting down. “I’m proud of both of you guys, you handled it very well.” she complimented sincerely.

 

The conversation eventually moved on from the incident at school as they ate their meal. They spoke about Oreo and Leni, trading stories about what each of them had been up to during the time since Kara had slept over. Kara spent a little time telling Lena about her sister’s next visit and what they had planned to do together and Lena took a little while to talk about what L-Corp’s next big project was going to be and tried to explain it in terms that a normal human being would be able to understand. She got the feeling that Kara hadn’t quite grasped what she was talking about, but she listened to her intently and asked questions when she could and Lena was filled with gratitude for the woman currently seated beside her.

 

By the time their meal was finished, Lena found herself growing nervous. She had insisted that she clear the table by herself, and while Kara had protested at first, she eventually relented and let Lena take her plate and cutlery through to the kitchen where it was deposited in the dishwasher to be dealt with later. Lena could feel her palms sweating ever so slightly as she cut them each a slice of chocolate pecan pie that she had picked up from the bakery earlier that day, remembering that Kara had told her a few weeks ago that it was her favorite dessert in the entire universe. She carefully set the pie down on a plate and added a scoop of chocolate ice cream to Kara’s before carrying them back through to the dining room table.

 

She’s not entirely sure why she was so nervous but she found herself shaking ever so slightly as she brought her forkful of pie up to her mouth and prayed that Kara wouldn’t notice. She was uncharacteristically quiet as she tried to come up with a way to say what she needed to. A number of possible options were flying around in her head but none of them seemed good enough and it only made her panic more.

 

“Lena.” Kara’s voice cut through her train of thought and she jumped ever so slightly as her attention returned to the present. “Are you alright?”she asked, carefully eyeing Lena.

 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Lena blurted out before her brain could catch up. Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had said and she began rambling profusely. “I mean.. Oh shit.. I didn’t mean to just blurt it out like that.. I couldn’t think of a nice way to ask you and I told myself that it had to be tonight so that I couldn’t chicken out.. I know that we’ve already been dating or whatever you want to call it but when I went to get a card for you I realized that we hadn’t exactly spoken about it and these past few weeks, seeing you with Leni, they’ve meant more to me than I can say and I would really really like to take the next step with you. I want to be your girlfriend and I want to be able to call you mine, if that’s something you want.”

 

“Yes.” Kara answered instantly, smiling so wide that Lena was surprised it didn’t her.

 

Yes?” Lena echoed, shock evident in her voice despite the fact that she was pretty sure Kara would have given that answer.

 

“Of course I will be!” she stood up from her seat, chair sliding back as she made her way over to Lena, helping her stand up before pulling her into a kiss. “I was actually going to ask you tonight, but it means the world to me that you felt comfortable enough to ask me.”

 

Lena didn’t reply with words, she simply reached up a little, having to stand up on her tip toes when she wasn’t wearing heels to be able to actually reach Kara’s face with her own, and pressed their lips together.

 

“You’re my girlfriend.” Kara giggled when they pulled away, prompting Lena to laugh too.

 

“And you’re my girlfriend.” she replied before reaching up to kiss her once again.

 

When Kara left later that night, Lena found herself unable to stop smiling. The only thing that would have made it better was if Kara had been able to stay, but it was a school night and they each had work early in the morning so she had left with a promise to see her the following day when Leni was being dropped off at class. Lena fell asleep that night with a dopey smile on her face, but not before sending a quick text message off to Sam to fill her in on the events of the evening.

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t read over this so pls excuse any mistakes

 

 

Lena’s leg was bouncing anxiously as they sat outside Principal Grant’s office. Brooke’s parents were currently inside the office having a conversation with her and Lena knew that she was next. She wasn’t nervous about herself, it was more so for Kara. She knew that Kara would never show favoritism, if Leni did something wrong she’s confident that the situation would be handled with the same amount of discipline that it would be should it have been any other child, but she wasn’t sure where the principal stood on the matter. She was unsure whether or not Kara’s word would be enough.

 

“You’re gonna end up denting the floor if you don’t settle down.” Kara breathed a laugh as she gently gripped onto Lena’s thigh to prevent it from bouncing. “It’ll be fine, we haven’t done anything wrong, you just go in there and listen to whatever she has to say.”

 

“I’m just worried about you, I hate that I dragged you into this mess.” Lena confessed as she placed a hand over the one Kara currently had on her thigh.

 

“You didn’t drag me into anything, this would’ve happened regardless of our relationship outwith the classroom. We keep things separate, we’ve never allowed our relationship to interfere with Leni’s education in any way and we haven’t broken any rules.” Kara assured her. “It’s not like we’re in there screwing on the desk every morning.” she laughed.

 

“I know, I know.” Lena breathed a laugh along with her, although Kara could still see the evidence of worry in her face.

 

They didn’t have to wait long before the door to Cat Grant’s office clicked open and Kara’s hand immediately left her thigh just before Brooke’s parents stepped out. They didn’t so much as breathe in Lena’s direction and without seeing their faces, she was unsure how their part of the conversation had gone.

 

“Miss Luthor?” Ms. Grant called loudly, nodding her head in the direction of her office and beckoning Lena to come in.

 

The office was exactly the same as it had been just over half a year ago when Lena had been called in on Leni’s first day of school and received the news that Kara Danvers would be her daughter’s teacher for the year. It seemed like a lifetime ago and she found herself almost laughing at the complete 180 her life had taken. Last time she was in here the mere thought of Kara teaching her daughter had enraged her, and now here she was, sitting in the very same office praying that Kara would be able to continue teaching Leni even with the knowledge of their relationship being made public.

 

“Okay, Miss Luthor, I’m sure you know why we’re here today.” Ms Grant began and Lena nodded in understanding, feeling a little too anxious to talk as she waited to hear what the woman sitting before her was going to say. Would Kara get fired? Would Leni get kicked out of the school? Was she completely overreacting to the whole thing? The latter seemed like the more plausible conclusion, but she was still worried. “I have spoken to the parents of the child in question, and they have opted to unenroll their child from the school. I informed them that there have been no rules broken regarding the relationship between Miss Danvers and yourself and they weren’t happy about it, but it’s not my place to say anything about that. I just wanted to let you know that the situation has been dealt with and that we don’t tolerate hatred here, we strive to lead with love and kindness.”

 

“Oh.. I.. Alright.” Lena nodded in reply, a little shocked that it was as simple as that.

 

“Off the record, I’ve grown rather fond of Miss Danvers and I trust her wholeheartedly when she tells me that she hasn’t shown favoritism to any of her pupils. Honestly, I’m extremely happy for you both and I wish you nothing but the very best.”

 

“T-.. Thank you.” Lena laughed nervously. “That means a lot, I really care about her, and to tell you the truth I was really worried about her getting in trouble.” she admitted.

 

“Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. I feel for the child though, it wasn’t her wrongdoing, it was the parents. I hope you know that your daughter is a truly delightful child and her name doesn’t change that.”

 

“I know, thank you Principal Grant.” Lena told her sincerely, sliding her bag up onto her shoulder as she made to leave. “It’s good to know that the school is so well run, it’s a great comfort for a mother in my position.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that, have a good day Miss Luthor.”

 

“You too.” Lena smiled politely before standing up and leaving the office.

 

Kara was waiting for her outside in the hallway just where she had been before Lena had gone in. She took her hand as they made their way down the rest of the hall and out into the parking lot as Lena filled her in on what had been said in the office. Kara teased her for being so worried, and Lena laughed and just accepted it. She knew that she had a tendency to over think and worry too much about things, which is why she was extremely grateful to have people like Sam, and now Kara, in her life to keep her grounded and remind her when she was going a little over the top.

 

“I gotta head home, but Oreo and I will see you later tonight?” Kara pulled Lena in close to her once they arrived at her car in the parking lot and quickly pressed her lips to hers.

 

“Mhm.” she hummed in agreement before pulling away. “I’ll see you both tonight.”

 

Lena let out a sigh of relief once she was safely in the car. She felt like a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she was looking forward to a quiet night in with Kara, Leni and Oreo. After taking a moment to let the conversation sink in and fully register that everything was alright, Lena turned the key in the ignition and reversed out of her parking space. She waved quickly to Kara who was still parked in the space next to her before taking off for Sam’s house to pick Leni up.

 

* * *

 

“So, everything turned out alright then?” Sam asked over coffee once Lena arrived at her house.

 

“Yeah, it was fine. The parents unenrolled the kid because apparently they would rather have her go somewhere else than risk me corrupting their kid’s teacher.” Lena laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

 

“Oh my god maybe I shouldn’t be friends with you anymore.” Sam feigned shock as she laughed. “What if you’re corrupting me and I don’t even know it?!”

 

“Oh shit, you caught me! Sometimes my Luthor genes just shine through and I can’t stop them.” Lena teased back. “Congratulations Samantha Arias, you are officially one of my minions!”

 

“Hey I like minions!” Leni called out as she came running into the kitchen and scrambling up to sit on Lena’s lap at the table.

 

“I know you do babe we’ve watched the movie like three hundred times.” she laughed before placing a sloppy wet kiss on her cheek, Sam joining in on the laughter as Leni dramatically wiped it away before wriggling down and running back off into the living room to resume watching whatever show was playing on the TV.

 

“So, if you and your _girlfriend_ need a night alone to finally get you laid I’d be more than happy to take the munchkin.” Sam winked, laughing as Lena spluttered on the sip of coffee that she was currently taking.

 

“Sam.. No.. We’re not.. Stop it!” she stuttered, cheeks tinted a light shade of pink.

 

“You know, for someone who listened to every single one of my sexual encounters without complaint, you’re being a little bit of a prude.” Sam teased before bringing her own mug up to her lips.

 

“Shut up, it’s been like.. almost five years for me, what if I’ve forgotten how to do it? What if I’m a one touch wonder, god, how embarrassing will that be?” she rushed out, but Sam cut her off before it became full blown rambling.

 

“You seriously need to chill.” she laughed, amused at the look on Lena’s face. “Everything will be fine, just stop worrying about it and see how things play out.”

 

“I supposed you’re right.” Lena agreed with a nod, although her tone would suggest that she was only half convinced.

 

* * *

 

Leni was all but bouncing off the walls whilst they waited for Kara and Oreo to arrive later that evening. She hadn’t settled down since Lena had told her that they would be coming, much too excited about the prospect of spending another night with her new puppy pal. Lena had stopped by the pet store that she and Kara had gone to back when Oreo was first adopted from the shelter and had picked up some toys with Leni’s help. She figured that it would make things a little easier if she kept some food and toys at her place so that Kara didn’t have to lug everything around with her all the time.

 

Leni was first to the door when they arrived and immediately dropped to the floor to let Oreo attack her with kisses as Kara greeted Lena with one too. She had an overnight bag slung over her shoulder this time, having come prepared to spent the night, and a plastic grocery store bag that Lena guessed most likely contained chocolates or candy of some sort.

 

“Hey Kara?” Leni tugged on Kara’s hand to get her attention as they all made their way through to the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, sweetie?” Kara smiled down at her in reply whilst Lena began emptying the contents of the bag that Kara had brought. She was right, it was mostly candy with a few bars of chocolate thrown in.

 

“We got some toys for Oreo so she can play here.” Leni told her excitedly before turning to Lena. “Right, mommy?”

 

“We sure did babe!” Lena replied excitedly. “You know that we have food here, right?” she asked Kara with a laugh as she gestured to all of the candy laying on the counter.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t trust you to have acceptable movie snacks, so I brought my own.” Kara teased back. “Broccoli and Kale just won’t cut it this evening, Miss Luthor.”

 

Once they had settled down on the couch with a few snacks and a drink for each of them, Lena passed the remote over to Kara and told her to select whichever movie she wanted to watch. Leni was out in the hallway introducing Oreo to the new toys that they had bought, and Lena left the double doors to the living room open so that she could keep an eye on her.

 

She smiled as she let her head bump gently against Kara’s shoulder and felt her arm wrap around her waist, pulling her closer as they settled in. She had quickly come to realize that it was one of her favorite things, just being close to Kara like this. Close enough to be able to smell the faint scent of her perfume and whatever fabric softener she used, to feel the comfort of her warmth against her. It made her feel safe and secure and she adored it.

 

Lena hadn’t realized that she had fallen asleep until her eyes fluttered open a few hours later and the room was unnervingly silent. She immediately jerked up from the couch, picking up the blanket that had fallen from her, although she couldn’t remember it being there when she drifted off, and setting it down on the seat before rushing out of the room. The house was completely silent, and there was no sign of Leni or Kara anywhere. She had no idea what time it was or how long she had been sleeping and she began to panic as she rushed up the stairs, picking the pace up to a sprint as she ran down the hall to Leni’s room. She let out a sigh of relief as she spotted the two of them sitting on the bed alongside Oreo, Leni was in her pajamas and Kara was seated beside her reading one of the books that Lena often read to her at night.

 

“Mommy! Hi!” Leni called out as she spotted Leni standing in the doorway before making her way into the room and sitting down on the opposite side of the bed.

 

“Hey, sorry, you fell asleep and you just seemed so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you, I hope it’s alright that I got her ready for bed, I realize now that I probably should have woken you up and asked-..” Kara began to ramble.

 

“Kara.” Lena cut her off with a laugh. “It’s alright, thank you so much. You didn’t have to do that.”

 

“Oh, it’s fine.” she smiled in relief. “We had fun, right sweetie?” she turned to Leni.

 

“Yeah we did!” Leni called out happily. “Kara readed me two stories!”

 

“She did?! That’s awesome!” Lena praised.

 

They read one final story together at Leni’s insistence, passing the book back and forth between the two of them as they alternated between pages until Leni was finally asleep. After skillfully extracting themselves from the bed without waking her, the two of them headed down the hall into Lena’s room.

 

“if you wanna shower or anything then help yourself.” she gestured to the en suite bathroom as they stepped into the room.

 

“Oh yeah that would great, thank you.” Kara told her before grabbing her bag and making her way over to the bathroom. “I won’t be too long.” she smiled before closing the door over.

 

Lena waited until she heard the sound of the water running in the bathroom before heading over to her closet and pulling out some pajamas from one of her drawers. It was still cold outside, but she decided to forgo her usual fuzzy bottoms for a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt, knowing that Kara always got ridiculously warm when she slept, and in turn, turned herself into Lena’s own personal bed heater.

 

Lena was already curled up beneath the covers when Kara emerged from the steam filled bathroom, hair slightly damp and dressed in her own pajamas. The only light in the room was from the light spilling out from the one in the bathroom, and when Kara flipped the switch off they were plunged into darkness. Lena could smell the scent of her own soap wafting throughout the room and she couldn’t help but think that it somehow smelled a million times better when Kara used it.

 

She felt the bed dip after the covers were pulled back, and after giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the dark, Lena shuffled over to where Kara was currently climbing into bed.

 

“You smell so good.” she whispered as she got closer, loudly inhaling the smell of her shampoo coming from Kara’s hair.

 

“Okay perv, if you sniff any harder you’re going to inhale the bed sheets.” Kara teased with a quiet laugh before she pulled Lena in for a quick kiss.

 

It started off slow, one kiss quickly turned into two, and then two turned into three, and then before she knew what was happening, Lena found herself pinned down beneath Kara. What initially started off as a sweet, innocent goodnight kiss had rapidly escalated to something else entirely. Their tongues moved rhythmically together, it was hungry and desperate and Lena couldn’t breathe, but she decided then and there that she would rather die than stop.

 

It was Kara who pulled away eventually, the room was silent apart from the soft sounds of them trying to regain their breath. Kara was still laying atop her, knees bracketing Lena’s hips as she began trailing a line of kisses down her jaw. Lena could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest to the point where it was almost painful, but she simply tangled her fingers gently in Kara’s hair and tried to stay in the moment.

 

Her brain was in overdrive as she felt Kara’s fingers toy with the hem of her shirt, and before she could over think it, she nodded her consent and the shirt was immediately gone from her body. The cover of darkness provided her with a sense of comfort, she knew that Kara couldn’t see the parts of her body that she wasn’t entirely happy with, and the knowledge helped ease her worries a little.

 

Kara was mesmerized by the whole thing, she felt as though she couldn’t breathe properly as she took in the silhouette of Lena before her. There were curves, oh god there were __so many__ curves and it was driving her insane. She tentatively skimmed her fingers along her rib cage, breathing heavily at the incredibly soft skin that she could feel beneath her fingertips. She touched until she couldn’t take it anymore, taking a quick moment to look up Lena’s face.

 

“Can I?” she all but whispered, patiently waiting for Lena’s answer and desperately trying to avoid spooking her.

 

“Please.” Lena pleaded in return.

 

It’s not like Kara was expecting her to protest when she finally lowered her mouth down and began kissing along her chest, but she _definitely_  wasn’t expecting the guttural moan that escaped Lena’s throat when she kissed down the valley of her breasts and then took one into her mouth. She could feel Lena’s hands tighten on her head, she wasn’t attempting to guide her, but more of a silent encouragement that Kara was more than happy to comply with. She was so caught up in the sounds that she was pulling from Lena that she couldn’t focus on anything else.

 

“Mommy?” Leni’s little voice cut through the room and the pair of them immediately sprang apart as they noticed the little figure standing in the doorway. The room was so dark that Lena was having trouble locating her shirt, so she knew that there was no way Leni had seen anything all the way over at the door.

 

“Hey baby, what’s wrong? Is everything aright?” she flipped the covers back and rushed out of bed once she had located her shirt and scrambled to pulled it over her head.

 

“I don’t want to sleep.” Leni rubbed tiredly at her eyes with one hand whilst the other clutched at her little stuffed penguin. “I want to play with you and Kara.”

 

“Okay, how about we play a game called sleeping beauty?” Lena proposed as she crouched down to Leni’s level.

 

“How do you play?” she asked curiously.

 

“Well, you go to sleep, and that’s the beauty of it.” Lena told her, trying to suppress her smile at Kara’s obvious snort of laughter that she tried to pass off as a cough from the bed behind her.

 

The joke flew right over Leni’s head and she simply stood there clutching her penguin as she waited for Lena’s next idea.

 

“Babe, you gotta go to sleep, Oreo will be all alone in your bed! We don’t want her to be sad!” she told her, standing up and reaching for her hand. “Come on, let’s go tuck you back in and then we’ll all get some sleep and we can play as many games as you want in the morning.”

 

“I want to sleep with you guys.” Leni pouted as she remained stubbornly rooted to the spot.

 

Lena cast an apologetic look at Kara, she felt torn on what to do. She didn’t want to make a habit of Leni sleeping in the bed when Kara was there too, but she figured that one night wouldn’t harm them. She just wasn’t sure if Kara would be alright with it.

 

“Do you mind?” she walked over and whispered to her. “I’ll take her and sleep in her bed, and you can have this one if you want?”

 

“No, no it’s alright.” Kara smiled as she scooted over in the bed and flapped the covers open. “The more the merrier.”

 

“Thank you.” Lena pressed a quick kiss to her lips before heading back over to where Leni was standing and scooped her up.

 

She settled down right in the middle of them, face buried in Lena’s chest as her hand gripped at her shirt. Lena was pretty positive that she could feel Kara’s eyes on her, but she didn’t want to speak up at the risk of disturbing Leni, so she kept her own closed and drifted off to sleep contently in bed with both of her girls.

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't checked this for mistakes i'm a lazy shit i'm sorry

 

 

When Lena’s eyes fluttered open the next day she came face to face with one of the most adorable things that she had ever seen in her whole entire life. Kara was laying sprawled out on her back with Leni laying completely on top of her, cheeks smushed up adorably on Kara’s chest. The sun was just peeking in from the gap between the curtains, providing just enough light to bathe the room in a warm orange glow and highlight the two girls sleeping in front of her. Lena isn’t sure when they shifted, she was usually always hyper aware of Leni’s movements when she slept in bed with her, her brain never fully relaxed just in case she accidentally rolled over and squished her or something, but she guessed that the knowledge of Kara being there too must have eased up her subconscious and allowed her to sleep a little deeper than usual. Kara’s hand was splayed out securely on Leni’s back and Lena found herself unable to do anything but simply stare at them for a while. The view was enough to make up for the interruption last night, she couldn’t be mad when she had woken up to this.

 

She may or may not have taken a few photos of them before slipping out of the bed, stopping at the doorway to watch them for a few more seconds before padding down the hall towards Leni’s room to let Oreo out. The door to the bedroom was already open from when Leni had left the room the previous night and the little pup immediately jumped down from the bed when she saw Lena approaching and circled excitedly around her feet as they made their way down the stairs and over to the door leading out to the backyard. Lena curled her toes up a little as the cold early morning wind blew in from outside and enveloped her bare feet. When Oreo was done, she headed over to the pantry where she had put the newly purchased bag of puppy food that she had gotten from the store the other day, filling up a bowl and setting it down onto the floor for the little pup.

 

It wasn’t until Lena was halfway through making breakfast for all three of them that Kara appeared in the kitchen. Leni was propped up on one of her hips, still half asleep as Kara approached Lena and pulled her into a hug with the arm that wasn’t supporting Leni.

 

“Good morning.” she pressed a quick kiss to her lips as Leni lifted her head from Kara’s shoulder and silently reached out for Lena.

 

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” Lena asked as Kara passed Leni over to her.

 

“I did.” Kara nodded with a soft smile. “You take her, I’ll finish up with breakfast.” she insisted as Lena backed away from the stove where the bacon was sizzling softly in the pan, not wanting to risk any of the hot oil jumping out and burning Leni.

 

“Okay, thank you.” she smiled, pressing another kiss to Kara’s lips before pulling out a stool at the island and sitting down with Leni still on her lap. “I fed Oreo, she’s outside running around the yard.” Lena informed her as she gestured to the large window looking out into the back garden where Oreo was just barely visible in the distance sniffing around.

 

After they had each eaten their breakfast and gotten themselves dressed, Kara had to leave to go pick up her sister from the train station. She had asked Lena once they were alone in her room getting themselves ready for the day if she wanted to join both herself and her sister for dinner the following evening, Alex was only in town for a few days and Kara informed her that she was eager to properly meet her. Lena was a little hesitant, and she was feeling a little panicky, but the hopeful expression on Kara’s face was enough for her to agree to it. She did spent a little time praying that Sam wouldn’t be able to watch Leni, which would in turn mean that Lena wouldn’t be able to go, but Kara insisted that Leni come with them assuming Lena was comfortable with it and she couldn’t come up with a reason against it.

 

* * *

 

Lena had insisted on reserving a table at one of the nicer restaurants in the city, it also happened to be one of the more expensive ones but unbeknownst to both Kara and her sister, she had already made arrangements to pay for the meal before it had even been ordered so that neither one of them would have to worry about it. Of course, Kara told her off for it and insisted that she shouldn’t have done it when Lena informed her over the phone just before they each left for the restaurant that night, but Lena knew how much food that Kara could put away and didn’t want her to order something unfulfilling because it was more affordable.

 

She had dressed both herself and Leni in something a little more fashionable than they would typically wear to go out to dinner. Lena paired her plain black jeans and red blouse with a pair of her work heels, they weren’t super comfortable but they made the jeans look significantly more appropriate for where they were headed so she decided to just deal with it for the night. Lena always swore that she wouldn’t be _that_ parent who matched their clothes with their kids, but when she saw Leni adorably dressed up in her dark red long sleeved dress paired with her black tights and cute little sparkly shoes, Lena couldn’t bring herself to care. They matched perfectly, and god dammit they were adorable.

 

Kara and Alex hadn’t arrived at the restaurant when Lena pulled up outside a half an hour later, but according to the text message that Kara had sent her they weren’t too far away. She opted to wait in the car, laughing as Leni sang and danced around to the songs playing on the radio. It wasn’t long before Lena’s phone buzzed with a text from Kara letting her know they they had arrived and she quickly switched off the radio and stepped out of the car. After getting Leni out of her seat and making sure that the car was locked, they began walking hand in hand to the restaurant.

 

Lena spotted Kara almost immediately, she was standing on the sidewalk just in front of the entryway and she recognized the slightly taller, short haired woman standing beside her as her sister. She felt her nerves growing as she approached, she knew that Kara told her sister everything, and she knew that they had spent winter break together after Lena had almost permanently messed everything up between them. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but Leni was skipping happily towards Kara and she decided to just take a breath and see where the evening took them. There was no point in worrying about it, it wasn’t going to change anything.

 

“Hey! You guys look great!” Kara greeted them both as they approached. “I know you guys have met before but I wanted to properly introduce you so..” she began as she turned to Alex. “Alex, this is my girlfriend, Lena. And Lena, this is my sister, Alex.”

 

“It’s nice to see you again.” Lena extended her hand out with a polite smile, praying that it wasn’t going to be sweaty when Alex held onto it.

 

“Oh, none of that.” Alex replied as she swiped her hand away. “We do hugs in this family.” Lena felt some of the tension melt away as Alex pulled her into a quick hug before pulling back and crouching down to Leni’s level. “It’s great to see you too, Leni.” she smiled happily, putting a hand up to high five her. “Come on, give it your best.!

 

Leni smiled widely before giving Alex the most powerful high five that she could muster and they all laughed as Alex dramatically fell back before Kara reached down to take Lena’s hand in her own and the four of them headed inside.

 

The meal was amazing, they each ordered something different and Leni took it in turns stealing bites from each of their plates. Lena had been a little worried about her, given the fact that she could often be shy and quickly shut down around new people, much as she had the last time that they had seen Alex, but thankfully she seemed to take rather quickly to her this time. Leni listened intently whilst Alex spoke about some of her more child friendly cop stories and Alex knew a ton of little jokes and tricks that kept her entertained. Still, Lena couldn’t help but feel that the shovel talk was coming soon. She was expecting it, she just wasn’t sure when it would happen.

 

It wasn’t until after they finished eating and they had just placed their orders for dessert that Kara asked if anyone needed to go to the bathroom, and Lena knew it was coming then.

 

“Hey babe, you do need to use the restroom?” she asked Leni as Kara stood up.

 

“I don’t know.” Leni told her.

 

“Well, listen to your body. Is it telling you that you need to go pee?” Lena asked as Kara waited beside the table for Leni just in case she needed to go.

 

“It’s telling me that I want pudding.” Leni told her confidently, smirking at the laughter that erupted from Alex.

 

“Oh god this kid is my hero!” she laughed loudly, reaching out to give Leni another high five.

 

“Okay, you go with Kara anyway.” Lena told her as she laughed herself, helping Leni down from the seat and guiding her over to where Kara was standing. “Oh, but when you wash her hands don’t put them under the dryer, she doesn’t them the noise frightens her.”

 

“No worries, I’ll use a paper towel.” Kara assured her as she reached out a hand and led Leni away from the table.

 

“Alright, you might as well say whatever you need to say to me while they’re gone.” Lena told Alex once both Kara and Leni were out of earshot. Her tone wasn’t malicious, it was more cautious, but she just didn’t want to beat around the bush.

 

“Look, I’m not here to beat you up or anything.” Alex breathed a laugh. “I know you know that Kara tells me everything, and I just wanted to say that I get it. I broke off an engagement last year with someone who I thought that I would be spending the rest of my life with, she didn’t want kids and I did. I still do. My kid doesn’t even exist yet, but the love I have for them, whoever they are, whoever they will be, was enough for me to know that I had to call it off. I get your need to protect the kid, I really do but I just want you to know that Kara is my sister and I want to protect her too. She’s a great person, as I’m sure you know, and I just don’t want you to break her heart.”

 

Lena listened intently whilst Alex spoke, it certainly wasn’t the direction that she was expecting the conversation to go in, but she was happy that it did. She really respected that Alex felt comfortable enough to open up to her like that, because she knows it isn’t an easy thing to do.

 

“I know, I care about her a _ _lot,__ I know that I have a lot of issues but I’m working through them. I don’t have any intention of breaking her heart, if I’m honest, I don’t think I could do that without breaking my own in the process.” Lena confessed with a soft smile. “You don’t have to worry about her, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that she gets everything that she deserves.”

 

“Well, I’m glad to hear it.” Alex smiled reassuringly at her. “Honestly, I think you seem like an awesome person. I know that your family doesn’t have the best track record, but I hope you know that it would never ever be an issue for any of us. You’re your own person, and your kid is great.”

 

“I hope you two are behaving.” Kara told them both with a wink as she reappeared with Leni.

 

“Me? Behaving? Never.” Alex teased in reply, earning a smile from Lena. “We were actually having a very nice chat, thank you very much.”

 

Lena didn’t miss the questioning glace that Kara cast in her direction, but she smiled sincerely in an attempt to assure her that everything was alright and it seemed to be enough for Kara to settle down and ease back into the conversation. Everyone was in awe when the desserts arrived, they were laid out and presented so perfectly that none of them wanted to begin eating them and mess up the beauty of it. Well, none of them except Leni, who immediately grabbed a fork and dug into her ridiculously large slice of chocolate fudge cake that Lena knew she definitely wouldn’t finish, although with Kara around she wasn’t too worried about it going to waste.

 

By the time they had all finished and began making their way outside, Lena was feeling significantly more relaxed than she had been when she arrived at the restaurant a few hours earlier. It was a huge relief to know that Alex didn’t have an issue with her and it eased a lot of her worries. She was actually kind of sad that she didn’t live in the area, but she promised that they would come visit her in Midvale as soon as they could and that they would definitely do something together the next time she came back into town.

 

After kissing Kara goodbye and trading numbers with Alex, Lena and Leni headed back to the car to drive home. Leni passed out almost immediately after she started up the engine, she had chocolate cake smeared all over her face despite Lena’s attempts at cleaning it off with a napkin, and there was a very obvious trail of ice cream down the front of her dress but all in all, Lena considered the evening a success.

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie i cried a little

 

 

Lena was more than a little surprised to have seen a substitute teacher in Kara’s place earlier that morning when she had been dropping Leni off at school. They hadn’t spoken the previous evening due to Lena having a few bits and pieces of work that she’d had to get finished before the deadline, but Kara hadn’t called or text that morning to say anything about not attending work. At first, Lena thought something may have come up, maybe a family emergency or something which would result in her having to get on a flight meaning that she wouldn’t have access to her phone until she landed, but as the day wore on Lena found herself growing increasingly more concerned that the text she had sent off earlier in the day asking Kara if she was alright had gone unanswered.

 

By the time her lunch break rolled around she still hadn’t heard anything, it was complete radio silence from Kara, and Lena knew that there was no way she could sit around at work for the rest of the day worrying about her. It crossed her mind that maybe she should text or call Alex to see if she knew anything, but Lena didn’t want to worry her. After informing her assistant that she would be going out for lunch, Lena packed away her things before grabbing her purse and immediately heading to the elevator.

 

It wasn’t long before she was pulling up outside of Kara’s apartment, she had no idea where else to go to look for her, she didn’t think there was anywhere else that Kara could be given the fact that she had no family here in the city and most of her friends were employed at the school and were currently there with their classes. After switching off the engine and taking the key out of the ignition, Lena stepped out of the car, facing down against the wind as she made her way into the large building, she tried to call Kara once again as she climbed the stairs up to her apartment, but it went straight to voicemail just as it had been doing all morning and by the time she arrived outside of Kara’s door she was feeling a lot more worried.

 

Lena’s knuckles had barely left the surface of the door after knocking when she heard a series of loud barks coming from within the apartment and felt a little relief wash over her at the noise. Oreo was home, which meant that either Kara was too, or she wasn’t far away. She waited another few moments before knocking again, but there was still no sign that Kara was inside.

 

“Kara?” Lena called, just loud enough for her to be able to hear if she was inside. “Kara are you in there? It’s Lena!”

 

She waited for a few more moments, listening to the little excited whining noises that Oreo was making over the prospect of having a guest visit her at home. Lena couldn’t hear anything else though, and she decided that her next move would be to head back to the car and give Alex a call. She really didn’t want to worry her, and maybe Lena was worrying over nothing herself, but it just seemed so out of character for Kara that she didn’t want to just sit around and wait for her to call or reply to her texts.

 

“Lena?” Lena was almost at the stairwell when the door to Kara’s apartment clicked open and a soft voice called her name. She immediately spun around and made her way back to the door.

 

“Oh thank god, I was so worried, I thought-.. Hey, what’s wrong?” Lena questioned, voice laced with concern as she took in the sight before her.

 

Kara was standing with a large blanket draped around her shoulders and what Lena recognized as a pair of her pajama pants peaking out from the bottom. Her curtains were pulled closed and the apartment seemed dreary and dull as she peaked inside. It was the sight of Kara’s face that startled her though, there was just something off about it and it seemed as though all of the usual sunshine and happiness was gone from her eyes.

 

Lena watched patiently as she waited for Kara to respond, waited for her to let her know what was wrong because it was clear that she wasn’t alright. When Kara opened her mouth a strangled sob escaped and suddenly she had thrown herself into Lena with such force that Lena had to take a few steps back to steady herself as Kara broke down in her arms.

 

“Hey, hey..” she let out, surprised by the desperation in Kara’s grip. “I’m here, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Lena spoke confidently, reassuringly, as she attempted to guide Kara inside the apartment and away from any potential unwanted attention in the hallway.

 

Lena led her carefully over to the couch, struggling to see a little as her eyes adjusted to the dark of the apartment and taking extra care not to trip over the excited pup currently jumping around at their feet, completely unaware that Kara was upset. They settled down on the large couch and Kara immediately melted into Lena, getting as close as she could as she continued to cry.

 

Lena’s heart was racing, she had no idea what was happening and her brain was coming up with so many different scenarios that she ended up having to tune into the sound of Kara crying to block them out. She held her as tightly as she could, rubbing a warm hand reassuringly up and down the expanse of her back as Kara cried into her shoulder. Lena held her until the tears subsided, she didn’t say a word until it turned into soft sniffling and then eventually calm. It took her a few more moments to realize that Kara had fallen asleep, and after taking extra care not to disturb or wake her up, Lena carefully wriggled her phone out from the pocket of her blazer and sent a text off to her assistant telling her to cancel the rest of her meetings for the day and that she was free to go afterwards, seeing as how Lena wouldn’t be returning to work until tomorrow.

 

Lena didn’t move until Kara stirred a little while later, she sat on the couch in the barely lit apartment and just held her until she woke up.

 

“Hey, how are feeling?” she asked softly as Kara’s head slowly lifted up from where it had been resting on her lap. She still didn’t have any idea what was going on, and she didn’t want to pressure Kara into talking about anything that she wasn’t comfortable discussing, especially since she had only just calmed down.

 

“I’m so sorry.” Kara croaked, voice a little rough from sleep and worn from crying.

 

“Hey, no, you don’t have to apologize.” Lena assured her. “I just want to know if you’re okay? You don’t ever have to apologize for getting upset.”

 

The room fell silent for a few more minutes as Kara woke up a little more. It wasn’t long before she gathered her blanket around her shoulders a little tighter and shifted on the couch to press up against Lena’s side, feet tucked beneath her as her head gently lay on her shoulder.

 

“It’s the anniversary of my parents’ death today.” Kara spoke so quietly that Lena is positive she wouldn’t have heard a thing had it not been for how close they were sitting. She wasn’t sure what to say, she wasn’t even sure if she should talk at all, so she simply decided to wait a few moments and see if Kara wanted to speak up again and offer any more information. It was barely a second before she did. “I was thirteen. It’s been fifteen years, but god I remember it so vividly it’s like it was yesterday. I was asleep, we all were, and then suddenly it was just _hot_.. It was so hot, and smoky. There was so much smoke, I was coughing and I couldn’t breathe and my eyes were stinging. And then, and then it was cold, it was so, so cold, and dark. My dad got me out, he flung me over his shoulder and ran through the flames before setting me down in the backyard. It had been raining and my feet were wet, it was so cold. He went back for my mom, and the sirens were so loud. It was so cold, I was so cold. I watched him run back into the house, and then I watched the roof collapse a few seconds later. The sirens were so loud, the night was so quiet and I couldn’t help them. I was so cold, I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t do anything.” Kara spoke with one tone the entire time, voice void of all emotion as she recounted her story to Lena.

 

A heavy silence fell upon the room once she finished talking, and Lena had to swallow roughly against the lump in her throat as she willed her voice to stay steady. She had known about Kara’s parents passing away, but hearing her tell the story, actually hearing the details, it broke her heart.

 

“Kara, I-..” Lena trailed off after speaking up. She was truly lost for words, and she felt an overwhelming guilt at the fact that she didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. “I don’t.. I’m so sorry, I’m not sure what to say, but I’m. Please know that I’m here for you. I think you’re one of the most amazing people that I know, you couldn’t have saved them, you were a child, it wasn’t your fault Kara.”

 

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m sorry for unloading all of this on you, no one ever really knows what to say because there’s nothing that you _can_  say. It’s just a part of life I guess, you just have to try not to let it swallow you whole. I give myself this day, every year, I take this day out of whatever I’m doing and I just spend it alone. I know it probably sounds ridiculous, and sad, and just straight up pathetic, but I let myself fall apart. It works for me, it’s how I manage to live my life without getting completely lost in the past. I just take a day to let it all out, and I know that I should have told you about it, I didn’t mean to worry you, I was just worried that you would think it was silly.”

 

“Kara..” Lena exclaimed softly. “I would never ever think that it was silly. God, how many of my meltdowns have you witnessed?” she breathed a laugh. “I’m not here to judge you for anything, I’m here to support you in whatever way I can, I’m just sorry that you didn’t feel that you could come to me with this. I want you to feel comfortable sharing your feelings, I know I have my own stuff going on but I’m not going to break just because you’re struggling. We help each other out, that’s how this works.” she pressed a kiss to Kara’s temple as she finished up talking.

 

They sat on the couch in a comfortable silence for a little while before Lena realized that it was almost time to pick Leni up from school. She would’ve text Sam and asked if there was any way that she could pick her up, but she knew that she was mega busy working on a project in her department that she had been a little caught up with recently so Lena didn’t want to bother her.

 

“Hey, I’m so sorry but I really need to go get Leni from school.” Lena spoke up for the first time in a while. “I really don’t want to leave you alone though, can you do me a huge favor?”

 

“Yeah, of course.” Kara spoke softly and Lena made out the outline of her body shifting to face her.

 

“Can you pack a bag and come stay at my place tonight? I completely understand if you want to be alone, but I just want to make sure that you’re alright.” Lena told her. “I don’t like knowing that you’re upset, I just want to make you feel better the way you always do for me.” she confessed.

 

“You do make me feel better.” Kara assured her. “It means the world to me that you spent the day here with me, I know you’re so busy at work and I didn’t mean to take you away from that. You don’t have to say anything or give me some big speech to make me feel better, you being here is enough in itself.”

 

Lena spent a little time tidying little areas of the apartment as Kara quickly pulled on some clothes and packed a bag. It wasn’t long before the two of them and Oreo were on route to pick Leni up from school. Kara opted to stay in the car with the dog whilst Lena ran in to get her, not wanting to have to explain to the other parents why she was showing up at the school when she was supposed to be off sick.

 

“Hey babe! I have a surprise for you!” Lena greeted Leni as she came running out of class and into her arms. “Kara and Oreo are gonna be spending the night with us again tonight! They’re in the car waiting for us!”

 

Lena grabbed her bag and slung it over her own shoulder, helping Leni into her coat before they took off hand in hand down the hallway and out into the parking lot where Kara and Oreo were seated in the car. The little pup went crazy the moment she saw Leni climb into the car, and Kara put her in the back seat after Lena had made sure that Leni was securely buckled in so that they could play together on the ride home.

 

 


	33. Chapter 33

 

 

The evening was a little different from how Kara’s usual sleepovers at Lena’s place were. Typically, they would be able to do whatever they wanted with their time, but it was still the middle of the week and Lena really had to get a head start on some of the work that she had missed out on earlier in the day if she didn’t want to have to spend the rest of the week holed up in her office until a ridiculously late hour working on it. Usually she would wait until Leni went to bed before starting anything work related at home, but with Oreo there for her to play with and Kara to keep an eye on the pair of them, Lena decided to just get her laptop out and start on it once they were all settled in the living room. It was surprisingly easy for her to tune out the noise of the room and get lost in her work, she could feel Kara’s head resting comfortably on her shoulder as she typed and she would occasionally check in with her to make sure that she was doing alright.

 

She definitely seemed a little better than she had earlier in the day, but her sadness was still evident. It really struck Lena in that moment just how incredibly strong Kara Danvers was. Every day was a struggle, but she puts up one hell of a fight and she hadn’t let her situation darken her heart. She lived her life with a kind heart, spreading as much joy as possible, and Lena felt a tug in her chest as her fingers hovered above the keyboard of her laptop, momentarily frozen as she got caught up in her thoughts. The feeling, the slight tug, was one she had only felt about very few people in her life. Two people, to be exact. Leni and Sam. But here she was, thinking about Kara, and feeling that exact same pull, she could feel it in her heart, but she wasn’t quite ready to deal with that yet. She knew that she loved Kara, she knew that, it was easy to come to terms with the knowledge of it. She would be crazy for _not_ loving her, but Lena had never been _in_ love with another person before. The love she had for Leni was unlike anything she had ever felt, but it wasn’t the same as the feelings she felt for Kara. Those were entirely new to her too, and she needed a little time to process.

 

By the time Leni’s bedtime rolled around Lena was almost completely caught up with everything. She would still have to reschedule the meetings that she had missed out on throughout the day, but she could deal with the rest of that at the office tomorrow. As soon as Leni was safely tucked in, nightlight on and content after listening to Lena read her a few stories, the bedroom door was pulled over a little and Lena headed straight back down the stairs to where she had left Kara sitting in the living room.

 

“Hey, you want a cup of tea or anything?” she asked as she poked her head into the living room, directing the question to the pile of blankets that Kara was currently buried beneath.

 

“No I’m alright, thank you.” she spoke quietly, smiling softly at Lena as she scooted over and lifted one of the covers up from her lap. “I do want you to get your cute butt over here though.”

 

Lena breathed a laugh as she stepped fully into the living room, padding across the floor before shuffling over onto the seat and settling beneath the blankets. Kara was like a mini heater, all of her body heat was trapped beneath the blankets and Lena immediately nuzzled into the welcomed warmth.

 

“Your feet are freezing.” Kara muttered with a laugh as Lena’s bare foot grazed her own.

 

“I’m not even sorry, you’re too warm for me to care right now.” Lena teased as she pressed the cold of her foot further onto her as she laughed into Kara’s shoulder.

 

They spent the remainder of the evening curled up watching a movie of Kara’s choosing before they headed off up to bed. Lena couldn’t help but feel relieved about going to Kara’s apartment earlier in the day to check on her, the thought of her being all alone tonight made her heart ache, especially seeing as how it was the first anniversary that she wouldn’t be spending with Eliza and Alex.

 

“Thank you for today.” Kara whispered into the darkness once they were settled in the large bed. They had each foregone taking a shower in favor of just stripping off their clothes and falling into bed wearing the the first shirts that has been within their grasp.

 

“You don’t have to thank me, it’s what I’m here for.” Lena whispered in reply before she turned in her arms so that they were facing one another and Kara immediately nuzzled closer, burying her face in her chest as Lena’s hands found their way to her hair. “I’m so glad that you decided to stay.”

 

“I’m glad too.” Kara spoke quietly, shuffling a little closer. “Goodnight babe.”

 

“Goodnight.” Lena whispered softly as she pressed a kiss onto the top of Kara’s head. _I love you._

__

The following morning was one of the best mornings that Lena had experienced in a long time. There wasn’t even anything overly significant about it, she just immensely enjoying waking up with Kara before getting ready for the day. They moved in perfect sync as they each got themselves ready for the day in front of Lena’s ridiculously large bathroom mirror, and Lena found that it was actually surprisingly fun. She usually liked doing things on her own, other people exhausted her and she ached for the moments that she could spend alone, but it didn’t feel that way with Kara.

 

She watched as the three of them ate breakfast around the table, dressed in their work clothes and spooning cereal into their mouths while Oreo ran around at their feet sniffing around for anything that may fall onto the floor. Lena was lost in the domesticity of all it, and for the first time in a long, long time, she felt thoroughly at peace as she dropped her girls off at school that morning.

 

 

It took a few days for Kara to really return back to her usual self, it wasn’t noticeable if you didn’t know what had been going on with her, but Lena knew, and she took notice of the fact that her usual sparkle seemed dimmed just a little. Not that Lena could or would ever blame her, in fact it was the complete opposite. She really admired the way that Kara picked herself up and got on with living her life, she refused to let her past hold her back. It was inspiring for Lena and really fueled her desire to better herself.

 

She had managed to reschedule all of her meetings that she had missed during the day that she had taken off, and by the end of the week she only had one more left. After double checking that Sam was alright with picking Leni up from school so that she wouldn’t have to rush anything, Lena turned her phone off and headed into her last meeting of the day.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, can I talk to you for a quick minute?”

 

Kara was startled by the figure standing in the doorway to her classroom, laughing as she stood up from her desk to greet her with a smile.

 

“Sam! Hi! Sorry, you startled me.” Kara laughed as she gestured for Sam to come inside. “How are you?”

 

“Look, sorry to just jump in and throw this all on you, but the kid is putting her coat on and I don’t have much time.” Sam rushed out as she approached Kara. “I was gonna text you, but I didn’t want to leave any sort of trail.”

 

“Wait why? What’s going on?” Kara questioned, suddenly nervous and a little bit concerned as she took in the sight of Lena’s best friend standing before her.

 

“Oh no don’t worry, it’s not anything bad.” Sam assured her with a smile. “It’s just that it’s Lena’s birthday tomorrow, I know for a fact that she won’t tell you, because she hates her birthday. It just reminds her of everything that she never had as a kid, Lillian never celebrated it with her so now she doesn’t celebrate for herself, but I figured I would let you know. She deserves to make some good memories you know? And you always seem to be the exception for her, if she’s gonna celebrate with anyone then it’ll be you. She doesn’t know yet, but I’ll the kid tomorrow night if you want to plan something.” Sam finished up with a wink.

 

“Oh.. I-.. Yeah, yeah that would be great!” Kara replied, her brain already struggling to process all of the ideas currently whirring around in her mind. “Thank you so much.”

 

“It’s my pleasure.” Sam caught her off guard as she pulled her in for a quick hug before heading out of the classroom and back out to where Leni was currently trying to zip up her own coat.

 

Kara knew that she had to play it cool if she wanted to be able to pull this off. She had so many different ideas already and she mentally cursed Lena for not telling her about her birthday, if she had known then she would have had a lot more time to make sure that everything was perfect, Kara didn’t have any idea what to get her as a gift and she was already ridiculously stressed. After collecting her things and locking up her classroom for the weekend Kara rushed off out to the car, she had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.

 

Her first stop was the party store near the center of the city, she roamed the isles not really looking for anything in particular, just some nice decorations that she could surprise Lena with. She ended up with a variety of different banners, a ton of different colored balloons and a few other bits and bobs. After loading up the car with everything that she had purchased, her next stop was the supermarket. Kara had never properly cooked for Lena before and honestly she wasn’t super confident in her own abilities, but she really wanted to try. She knew how amazing it felt when Lena had cooked for her, and she really wanted Lena to feel that same feeling. After spending a little time parked in the parking lot scrolling through her phone in search of ideas for dinner, Kara finally decided on something and headed inside with the list of ingredients to get everything that she would need. It didn’t take long before Kara was headed back to her apartment, car loaded up with most of what she would be needing for the following evening.

 

After skillfully making it all the way up to her apartment without dropping any of the bags, Kara unpacked the food and put the ingredients for their dinner away where they needed to go. She had left the packs of balloons and banners in the car to deal with the following day. She had no reason to bring them inside seeing as how they would be used at Lena’s house, and she didn’t want to risk Oreo getting into anything and wrecking it. She had already lost one too many pairs of her shoes to the adorable fluffy little shit.

 

Her final stop, after depositing everything that she needed to at home, was one that Kara was a little apprehensive about. She had never done anything like this before, and while the nerves were prominent in the pit of her stomach, it was something that she really wanted to do. It was the desire buried deep inside of her at the prospect of how the evening could pan out that eventually gave her the boost of confidence that she needed to turn off the engine and step out of the car. It was a nice day, nicer than they’d had in a while, the sky was almost clear blue interspersed with a few little fluffy white clouds and Kara found herself having to use her hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of the sun as she walked down the pavement towards her destination.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this was a little shorter but the next one will be worth it i promise


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drops this and sprints away in the other direction*
> 
> also i haven't read over it so ignore any mistakes pls im sorry

 

 

When Lena woke up the next day her morning started off like every other weekend morning. She always set her alarm for an hour later than she would usually get up to make sure that she would be up in time for Leni but still allowed herself a little extra sleep, and then spent a little time laying in bed scrolling through her various social media apps and going through her notifications, she didn’t pay any attention to the date. It wasn’t until she unlocked her phone to a text message from Sam as she lay beneath the comforter that she realized what day it was.

_Sam: Happy Birthday you grandma!! I love you so much! Ruby says happy birthday too, don’t kill us for remembering! We’re taking you and the munchkin out for lunch, pick you up at 2, non debatable! See you soon Xx_

__

Lena rolled her eyes as she dramatically let out a puff of breath, although she couldn’t deny the slight smile that betrayed her as she quickly typed up a reply, thanking Sam and letting her know that both herself and Leni would be ready for her picking them up before she sent off a quick good morning text to Kara and quickly jumped in the shower.

 

Lena had no idea where they were headed for lunch although she knew that it thankfully wouldn’t be anywhere over the top or ridiculously expensive if the kids were going, so she opted to wear a pair of her nicer jeans paired with a comfortable t shirt and a long thick knitted cardigan. She let Leni pick out her own outfit, and while it was certainly interesting and would no doubt land her a spot on fashion police if she were to dress that way in a few years, she seemed happy with it so Lena was more than happy with letting her express herself.

 

After Sam’s horn sounded in the driveway, Lena immediately helped Leni outside, giving the place a quick once over to make sure that she wasn’t forgetting anything before locking the door behind her and making her way over to the car. Sam already had her own car seat for Leni, they quickly realized that switching the one between Lena’s and Sam’s cars on the days that Sam would be picking Leni up or taking them both places was more hassle than necessary so Lena bought another one and set it up in the back of Sam’s car last year. Once she made sure Leni was safely buckled in, Lena rounded the car and climbed into the passengers seat.

 

“Happy birthday!” Sam smiled widely before pulling Lena into a quick hug.

 

“Happy birthday aunt Lena!” Ruby joined in, leaning forward between the two front seats to place a kiss on her cheek.

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Lena playfully rolled her eyes as they laughed.

 

They spent the drive animatedly singing along to a few songs on the radio before pulling up outside a familiar restaurant. It wasn’t anything super fancy, but Lena and Sam often met up there for lunch shortly after Leni was born to give Lena a reason to get out of the house. It was private and the food was delicious.

 

They were seated at their usual table in the back corner by the window and, after taking a ridiculously long time to pick what seat she wanted to sit in, Leni eventually clambered up into one and Lena sat next to her. The waitress arrived at the table shortly afterwards and took all four of their orders before disappearing again. Lena had forgotten how much she loved doing things like this, all four of them. Sam and Ruby truly were her family and it really meant more to her than she could say that they cared enough to drag her out for lunch to celebrate her birthday with.

 

“Hey, thanks for this, I love you guys.” Lena told them as their drinks arrived at the table. “I know I don’t really like birthdays, but it means a lot that you care.”

 

“Okay you big softie.” Sam laughed kindheartedly. “We love you too.”

 

“I love you the mostest mommy!” Leni cut in loudly, earning laughter from everyone at the table as Lena leaned over to her.

 

“I love _you_  the most.” she told her before placing a dramatically sloppy kiss on her cheek as Leni giggled.

 

They spent a little while just talking at the table after their food was finished, and Lena couldn’t help but notice the way Sam was continuously checking her phone every few minutes. She didn’t think too much of it though, she figured Sam was maybe just seeing someone new and wanted to keep it under wraps for the time being, especially with Ruby sitting at the table. When they eventually left the restaurant after an almost full out brawl between Lena and Sam over who should be paying, they headed out into the street with Sam grinning smugly at her victory over paying the bill before Lena could, but instead of going back to the car like Lena intended, Sam grabbed her arm and dragged her in the opposite direction.

 

“Wha- Where are we going?” Lena asked as she blindly followed Sam down the street, Leni and Ruby walking hand in hand on the pavement beside them.

 

“I don’t know, it’s your birthday!” Sam exclaimed. “Let me treat you to a nice new outfit or something!”

 

“Sam, no, you don’t have to-” Lena began to protest before Sam cut her off.

 

“It’s non negotiable, come on.” she laughed as she pulled all four of them into the nearest shop and began roaming the isles.

 

They spent a little time just looking at everything, Sam would occasionally pick something up off the rack and call Lena over to check it out, but nothing jumped out at her as something that she would necessarily wear. They walked down the street, jumping into whichever store caught Sam’s eye as they went, which is how they found themselves in the final store of the afternoon. Although, by this point it was early evening and Sam still hadn’t stopped checking her phone.

 

“Hey, what about this?” Sam whispered as she nodded her head over to the lingerie section.

 

“Sam, what- No! I don’t need-” Lena spluttered as she whirled around, looking for Leni. “The kids are here!”

 

“They’re exhausted, they’re sitting on the chairs over by the shoes, come on.” Sam insisted, grabbing Lena by the hand once more and leading her over to where the variety of different colored lace and satin garments were hanging. “I know for a fact that your underwear hasn’t seen the light of day for the past few years, so I don’t even want to imagine the mom shit that you wear, but you should pick something nice! It’ll make you feel good.. and it’ll make Kara feel good.” she finished up with a wink.

 

“God I really hate you sometimes.” Lena grumbled, although she couldn’t deny that everything that had just left Sam’s mouth was true. The underwear that she wore was extremely comfortable, but it wasn’t exactly a turn on, and she hoped that it would maybe give her a little boost of confidence if she bought some nicer things.

 

“Honestly I can’t believe you guys still haven’t done it yet, I mean.. have you __seen__ her?!” Sam exclaimed a little louder than Lena would have preferred. “If you don’t do it soon then I might have to step up and take your place.” She knew that Sam was teasing, she could hear it in her voice and willed herself not to snap and start blushing, not wanting to give Sam the satisfaction of knowing that she could wind Lena up so quickly.

 

“You’re so annoying, did you know that?” Lena playfully rolled her eyes as she lightly nudged Sam with her elbow. “It’s not like I don’t want to, because I do, god I really do, I feel closer to her than anyone else that I’ve been intimate with, and we haven’t even done anything like that yet. It’s just finding the time, I don’t want a repeat of what happened the last time.” she breathed a laugh as she recalled Leni walking in on them shirtless a few weeks before.

 

“Well, you know I live for the munchkin and would be more than happy to take her off your hands for a night, just give me a call and I’ll happily come pick her up if you’re that horny.”

 

“Samantha!” Lena spluttered indignantly, ignoring the stares coming their way at the sheer volume of Sam’s laughter.

 

After paying for a few bits and pieces that she had picked up, Lena and Sam headed over to the seats in the shoe area to get Leni and Ruby before making their way back to the car. The sun was beginning to set, although it wasn’t quite dark out yet, and Lena was surprised at how quickly the hours had flown by throughout the day. It really had been nice to get out and spend some time with the girls. It wasn’t long before they were pulling up in Lena’s driveway and Sam offered to give her a hand in with the bags seeing as how Leni had fallen asleep on the ride home.

 

Lena headed straight for the trunk when she stepped out of the car, popping it open and taking her bags out as Sam gently closed the drivers side door, careful not to wake Leni as she joined Lena at the end of the car.

 

“So, I’ve kinda been keeping you busy all day.” Sam admitted as Lena pulled the handle down and closed the trunk.

 

“What do you mean?” Lena questioned as she adjusted the bags on her grip brow furrowed as she looked at Sam.

 

“I can’t tell you, but I need you to go inside. I’m taking the kid tonight, I already have pajamas and stuff at my place for her, so you have a good night and don’t worry about a thing.” Sam told her before pulling her into a hug.

 

Lena had no idea what was going on, but she knew there was no point in arguing when Sam had that insistent look on her face so she simply opened the door to Leni’s side of the car, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and told her that she loved her before turning to Sam once again.

 

“You know I hate not knowing what’s going on.” Lena’s voice was laced with a little worry. “It makes me anxious.”

 

“Well then you better head on inside and find out.” Sam guided her up the driveway towards the front door before giving her a final little push. “Have fun! We love you!” she called over her shoulder with a quick wave as she made her way back to the car.

 

That was the last thing Lena heard before the car door was closed and Sam began reversing out of the driveway. Lena watched and waved until the car was out of sight before she picked up her shopping bags and fished her key out to unlock the door, but much to her surprise, it was already open. Usually she would be a lot more concerned but given everything that just happened with Sam she figured it was most likely all part of whatever was happening and decided to just go with it.

 

The house was dark and quiet, just as she had left it earlier in the day before heading out to lunch. It wasn’t until she kicked off her shoes, putting them neatly away in the closet by the door and then padded down the hall that Lena saw what Sam had been talking about. The light that she had switched on illuminated the hallway as she took in the streamers hanging from the walls and the balloons scattered around at her feet. She followed the trail of decorations to the dining room where she felt her breath catch in her throat. The table was beautifully decorated with a deep red table cloth and topped with a beautiful array of candles that were flickering softly and emitting a beautiful warm glow. The cutlery was set out perfectly on either side of the plates and there was a large bottle of champagne in an ice bucket between them, and in the middle of it all, standing with a beaming smile and arms wide open, was Kara.

 

“Happy Birthday babe!!” she called out immediately upon seeing Lena.

 

Without hesitation, Lena crossed the room and melted into Kara’s arms. Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this and she felt overwhelmed in one of the best ways possible.

 

“I-.. You-.. Oh my god, Kara!” she laughed into Kara’s shoulder before pulling away. “I can’t believe you did all this, you really didn’t have to, it’s-..” she trailed off, unable to express how surprisingly warm and loved she felt inside.

 

“Honestly, I was a little worried.” Kara admitted as she pulled away from the hug, but still held Lena closely. “Sam said you didn’t really like birthdays, but I really just wanted the chance to show you that they can be a lot of fun!”

 

“You had no reason to be worried.” Lena laughed as she gestured around the room. “This is.. It’s incredible, thank you so much, it really means the world to me that you would do this. I’m sorry for not telling you about it myself.”

 

“It’s alright.” Kara replied with a smile before moving in and pressing her lips lightly against Lena’s.

 

Lena had to stretch up on her tip toes a little to reach given the fact that she had just taken her shoes off, but before they could really get into the kiss, a timer went off and Kara pulled away with a smile.

 

“Okay, you sit down here.” She told Lena as she moved behind one of the chairs and pulled it out for her. “I’m gonna go get the food, I’ll be right back.”

 

“Oh, are you sure you don’t need a hand bringing it thro-..” Lena began to ask before she was cut off.

 

“Nope! It’s your birthday, I’m in charge of everything tonight, I just want you to relax and enjoy it.” Kara insisted.

 

With a quiet laugh, Lena let Kara help her into the chair as she thanked her before watching her rush off into the kitchen to collect the food. It wasn’t long before she reappeared with two plates in her hands, setting one down in front of Lena before putting her own on the table and taking a seat next to her. From what Lena could see, it appeared to be some sort of chicken dish and the smell was heavenly.

 

“This looks so good, and it smells _amazing _.__ ” She complimented sincerely as Kara beamed a smile in her direction, pouring them each a glass of champagne from the bottle in the middle of the table before handing Lena’s over to her.

 

“To showing you that birthdays aren’t all bad.” Kara held her glass up in.

 

“I think you’ve done more than enough to prove that to me.” Lena smiled as she raised her own. “To my beautiful girlfriend.”

 

“To _my_ beautiful girlfriend.” Kara said with emphasis before they lightly clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

 

Lena mumbled her approval of the meal through a mouthful of food as she finished off her first bite and Kara simply laughed before she started eating her own. They traded conversation back and forth as they enjoyed the meal that Kara had made, Lena filled her in on her day with Sam whilst Kara explained to Lena how she had managed to pull everything off, and by the end they were both feeling significantly stuffed.

 

“I was gonna make dessert, but I know you’re not super into all of that kinda stuff, so I have this for you.” Kara told Lena as she reappeared from the kitchen after depositing the plates and cutlery in the dish washer.

 

There was a cute little cupcake perched in Kara’s hand with a single candle flickering away in it.

 

“Sam had Leni decorate it for you, there’s a card there from her too.” Kara told her with a smile as she passed the cupcake over to Lena. “Make a wish!”

 

Lena smiled to herself, leaning over the table a little to gently blow out the candle. After the flame was gone, she carefully pulled the candle out of the icing and grabbed a knife to split the cake between herself and Kara. They ate it in mostly silence before Lena found herself reaching for another glass of champagne, downing the entire thing whilst Kara watched in amusement.

 

“Do you wanna see what I got from the store today?” she asked as she lowered the now empty glass from her mouth, willing her voice to stay steady.

 

“Of course I do!” Kara smiled enthusiastically.

 

Lena felt her heart pick up as she made her way back down the large hall to collect the bags that she had deposited earlier on her way in. She knew the act in itself didn’t really mean anything, but the nerves were coming from the implication behind the action, and she knew that Kara would catch on.

 

She could see the grin that Kara was trying to suppress the moment her eyes fell on the pink striped bag that Lena had set on the table. She willed her hands to stay steady as she began opening it up, taking a breath before pulling the first matching lace set out. Kara’s eyes widened immediately and Lena could feel a blush coating her own cheeks as she showed it off. It wasn’t long before Kara had stood up and rounded the table, taking up the space behind Lena and wrapping her hands around her waist as Lena continued slowly emptying the contents of the bag.

 

It wasn’t until Kara’s lips found their way to her neck, kissing her a way that Lena felt was most definitely illegal that she began to lose her train of thought, slowly abandoning the different laces and silks on the table as she arched her neck to give Kara more space to work with. Her mouth had gone completely dry, all the moisture in her body had apparently gone south as she managed to tear her neck away from Kara’s sinfully warmth mouth and turn in her arms to face her.

 

“Do you-.. I mean-..” Lena cleared her throat as she trailed off. “Would you like to go upstairs?”

 

“Only if you want to.” Kara assured her, hands holding tightly to Lena’s hips. “I’m fine with whatever you’re comfortable with.”

 

“I haven’t shaved.” Lena blurted out before she could stop herself, hand shooting up to cover her mouth as Kara laughed.

 

“I don’t care, that doesn’t bother me.” she told Lena sincerely, despite the laughter still bubbling up inside of her.

 

“I just.. If I had known this was going to happen I would have prepared a little, ya know?” she laughed awkwardly.

 

“Well, like I said, I’m more than happy with whatever you’re comfortable with, we can just go watch a movie.” Kara assured her. “We don’t have to do anything, there’s no pressure at all, I’m content with just spending time with you.”

 

The look of sheer wanting in Kara’s eyes was enough to give Lena the little boost of confidence that she needed. She wanted this, and she was pretty sure that Kara did to if the look in her eyes was any indication, so why would she deny them it?

 

“Come on, let’s go upstairs.” Lena nodded confidently to herself as she made up her mind.

 

“Are you sure?” Kara questioned, there was no judgement in her tone, and the fact that she genuinely cared so much about her only confirmed Lena’s decision.

 

“I’m _so_  sure.” she told her with a smile, reaching up on her toes to press a quick, hard kiss to Kara’s lips before pulling away and taking her hand.

 

Lena could feel the tension building with each step that they took up the staircase, and the second they emerged onto the landing, safely out of the way of the stairs, Kara pulled her into rough kiss- the kind that vibrated intention and made itself known low in Lena’s gut. She moaned brokenly into Kara’s mouth as she felt her hands on the underside of her thighs and before she knew it, the sudden softness of her bed sheets was beneath her back. They kissed hungrily, desperately, and Lena didn’t ever want to pull away. Her lungs were burning, screaming at her for air but she held on until she absolutely couldn’t any longer.

 

When she eventually pulled away, flushed and struggling to get air into her lungs, she felt her heart soar at the way Kara was gazing down at her. Her eyes were brimming with unwavering adoration and it was more intimate than anything that Lena had ever experienced before. She watched as Kara slowly lowered her head, leaving a trail of wet kisses along her jawline and then dipping down to her neck, teeth gently graze over the pulsing artery as a moan escaped Lena’s throat.

 

“Can I?” Kara lifted her head momentarily and gestured down to the hem of Lena’s t-shirt.

 

The usual insecurity that she would feel vanished at the way Kara was looking at her, Lena felt comfortable and safe with her, she may have been judging her own body, but she was confident in the fact that Kara never would, so after a few moments she nodded her consent and smiled at the way Kara’s entire face lit up at the sheer prospect of it.

 

Lena was already so worked up that she couldn’t find it in herself to care about the faded, well worn mom bra that she was currently wearing as Kara peeled her shirt off, and when Kara quickly removed her own shirt and lay back down on top of her, she couldn’t find it in herself to care about anything other than the wet throbbing heat demanding attention between her legs upon seeing what Kara was wearing beneath her clothes.

 

"Were you expecting this to happen?" she asked with a hint of teasing, eyebrow raising as she eyed the black lace scandalously covering Kara's torso.

 

"Oh, no.. Well, I kinda hoped." Kara admitted, smiling a little as she breathed a laugh. 

 

"Good choice." Lena nodded her approval. "Happy birthday to me indeed." she muttered to herself when Kara got right back to what she had been doing before Lena spotted her little surprise gift.

 

She placed soft, small kisses along the length of her collarbones, dragging her teeth gently over the base of her neck before flicking her tongue over the small beauty mark on her throat. Lena’s fingers tangled in blonde hair as she went, not offering any sense of direction but just needed the comfort of having Kara close.

 

Kara happily kissed her way down, leaving her spot on Lena’s neck to kiss down over the valley of her breasts before sucking one into her mouth. The first few soft licks of her tongue were purely exploratory as she tried to work out what Lena liked, but if the desperate way the brunette’s hands currently clung to her head was any indication, she was doing just fine.

 

“Kara.. Kara..” Lena panted out breathlessly and her head shot up immediately to face her. “ _Please. _”__

 

“You okay?” Kara asked, equally as breathless as she looked up into Lena’s eyes. “What do you need?”

 

“Just.. You” Lena tugged gently on her hair, guiding Kara up and into another searing kiss. It was still desperate, and needy, but it was softer, slower than their previous kisses. Their tongues moved together with so much ease it was as though they had been doing this forever, but the building pressure between her thighs was almost unbearable and she found herself begging for Kara once again.

 

She held her face firmly in place, lazily kissing along Kara’s jawline, gasping ever so slightly as she felt a warm hand begin trailing down the length of her exposed torso, closely followed by Kara’s mouth.

 

A whine escaped her as she felt gentle fingers toying with the waistband of her jeans, and before Kara could ask permission to take them off, Lena lifted her butt up to help her pull them down along with her underwear. She was suddenly aware of how exposed she was while she lay completely naked and allowed Kara to drink her in, although it only lasted for a second before hot lips were on her stomach and she could feel the tip of Kara’s tongue, and it was soft and perfect and her breath caught in her throat, and then suddenly Kara was moving down, further than anyone had been in a long time and Lena couldn’t breathe.

 

“Hey, hey, just relax.” Kara told her softly. “I’ve got you, and we can stop at any time. Don't worry about anything.”

 

The assurance was exactly what Lena had been needing to allow her body to relax into the touch, and Kara waited until she received a nod in consent from Lena before doing anything else.

 

Kara moved as slow as possible, basking in each and every one of the little keening sounds that she was pulling from Lena as her mouth explored the inside of her thigh. Lena was caught off guard with the first swipe of her tongue on her heat and she moaned a filthy, guttural moan that hit Kara like a bolt of lightening right between her legs. Lena briefly made eye contact with Kara, groaning loudly at the sight of her eyes, the blue almost completely gone, reduced to mere rims around the black orbs that had now taken over, before her head fell back against the pillow and she found herself struggling to keep still.

 

Kara wrapped an arm around Lena’s waist to keep her as steady as possible while her lips latched onto her clit and began sucking gently, her tongue occasionally swirling around it while Lena mumbled nonsensically above her. After borderline teasing her for a little while, Kara traced a finger around her entrance before slowly sinking inside and Lena loudly voiced her appreciation, her hand finding it’s way back into Kara’s hair to ground herself.

 

After giving her a moment to adjust, Kara slipped another finger in and began picking up the pace as she pumped in and out, tongue working languidly on her bundle of nerves as Lena climbed higher and higher towards her release. She felt as though she was being torn to pieces and stitched back together beneath Kara’s mouth and, god she was so close.

 

“ _Fuck,_  Kara!”she called out loudly as her back arched strongly up off the mattress as her heel dug into Kara’s back and Kara smiled against her.

 

Kara kept up the pace, curling her fingers ever so slightly as Lena’s grip in her hair tightened almost painfully. She gave her clit a thorough lick before pulling away just long enough to mumble “Let go, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Her moans grew louder as Kara dipped her tongue back down to resume her ministrations on her. Pale thighs clamped down around her head and Lena was all but riding her face, desperately begging her not to stop.

 

Kara hummed her reassurance against her and the light vibrations were all it took to catapult Lena over the edge. Her hips twitching and legs shaking as Kara guided her through it, not letting up until Lena’s legs fell down limp against the mattress, hand sliding off of Kara’s head bonelessly to lay on the covers.

 

Kara didn’t lift her head until she was sure that Lena was done, slowly crawling up the length of her body and settling down beside her until she caught her breath.

 

“That was..  _Woah._ _ _”__  Lena breathed, turning to face Kara with a dopey smile plastered on her face.

 

It took her a few moments to catch her breath, her head was mercifully empty of all thoughts that didn’t consist of Kara, before she slung a leg over Kara’s waist and leaned down to kiss her. Lena happily, and thoroughly, returned the favor, and they spent the rest of the evening in bed.

 

“You know, I didn’t wish for anything earlier when I blew out my candle.” Lena told Kara later that night as she traced a hand over the bare relaxed muscles of her stomach. “I didn’t _have_  to wish for anything, for the first time in my life I feel content with everything. Are you familiar with the butterfly effect?”

 

“Uh, I don’t think so.” Kara replied softly, voice still a little rough as she pressed a kiss to the top of Lena’s head.

 

“It’s a theory, some people believe that a single occurrence, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can change the course of the universe forever. For example, the simple flap of a butterfly’s wings can change the air around it so much that it can create a tornado in another continent.” Lena spoke quietly, voice just above a whisper. They had created a beautiful bubble of calm and it seemed as though talking any louder than she was would put it at risk of bursting. “I think you’re my butterfly, you came into my life and changed everything, but in a good way. You’ve truly made me a better person and I can’t thank you enough for the patience and compassion that you’ve shown me. I-.. I love you. I think I’m in love with you, Kara.”

 

Lena felt Kara’s entire body tense up beneath her as she lifted her head to look up into her eyes. Kara was completely frozen to the spot and remained silent as she stared at Lena.

 

“Oh god, Oh god, I’m sorry.” Lena began to splutter, immediately construing Kara’s silence as a rejection. “I shouldn’t have just said that.. I mean, I mean it.. I do, but I-.. You’ll probably think it’s just the after sex hormones talking, and it’s not, but I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

 

Kara’s hands on her face cut her off and she was quickly pulled up into a deep, slow kiss. It wasn’t desperate, but Lena found herself surprised at the sheer passion behind it as Kara grabbed her leg and swung her over on top of her.

 

“If it wasn’t already clear..” Kara panted into Lena’s neck a little while later as they came down from their high together. “I love you, too.”

 

Maybe birthdays weren’t so bad after all.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't tell jesus what i did


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry this took so long i had an exam to study for (ur gal passed with full marks yee haw) it was so painful not being able to write, also i wrote this on the train home from the exam centre so like ignore any mistakes im sorry xx

 

 

The feeling of complete contentment that washed over her as she woke the next morning was almost overwhelming for Lena. Memories of the night before slowly came back to her and she could feel Kara pressed up warmly against her back. She felt calm and her mind wasn’t running a hundred miles an hour for once, it was amazing and she didn’t ever want it to end. She slowly shifted so that she could turn herself around to face Kara, taking extra care not to wake her. It was one of her favorite things, just being close to her like this. Close enough to see the faint freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, to feel her breath warm against her lips. Lena loved her, and for some crazy reason unknown to Lena, Kara loved her right back.

 

Lena watched as Kara’s mouth broke into a lazy little soft smile, and she found herself scooting a little closer to place a kiss on her bare shoulder, not stopping until Kara was fully awake.

 

“I love you.” Kara spoke quietly, voice a little rough from sleep as her eyes eventually fluttered open revealing a warm ocean blue that took Lena’s breath away.

 

“I love you, too.” she replied into her shoulder before resuming the path of kisses she was currently placing there, slowly making her way up to meet Kara’s lips.

 

It wasn’t long before they got caught up in it, an innocent good morning kiss quickly escalating until Lena found herself straddling Kara’s waist. It felt amazing to indulge in it, to not have to worry about waking up at a certain time and rushing around to make breakfast and get out the door, not that she minded doing any of those things, but it was a welcomed change to be able to relax and just enjoy her time with Kara.

 

She could already feel the heat pooling low in her abdomen as they continued to kiss, and with no other responsibilities looming over her, she decided to just go for it. Lena wasn’t sure when they would have a day like this again so she fully intended on making the most of it. Kara felt smooth beneath her fingers and warm beneath her mouth as she slowly kissed her way down. Despite spending more than enough time getting acquainted with it the night before, the sight completely floored her yet again. Just the mere knowledge of the fact that Kara trusted her, _loved_  her enough to let Lena get that close to the most covered up intimate part of her body was enough to send tingles up and down her entire body.

 

After a quick glance upwards and a desperate nod from a very flustered Kara, Lena let out a little breathy laugh and got to work. She felt the world around them fall away as she touched her tongue to Kara’s bare skin. Lena could hear the sound of her gripping the sheets above her head and it only added fuel to the fire currently burning in the pit of her stomach as she slowly but surely worked her way up and down every single fold.

 

As Kara’s back arched- her head pressed hard against the bed- and she clumsily grabbed for Lena’s hand to hold, to squeeze, Lena couldn’t help but think about just how insanely perfect everything was in that moment. Honestly, she wasn’t sure that she would ever have this after having a kid on her own, she certainly hadn’t planned for it, but here she was was Kara and it was better than she could have ever imagined.

 

Neither of them were in any particular rush to get up that day, so it was no surprise to Lena that she didn’t find herself in the shower until the early afternoon. She sent off a text to Sam letting her know that she was up and ready for whenever she wanted to bring Leni back home, and Lena knew from the amount of winking faces that Sam had sent that she was in for a teasing when the two of them were alone again.

 

Kara was still laying on the bed when Lena emerged from the bathroom and began rummaging around in her closer looking for something to wear. She caught her eye when she noticed Kara staring.

 

“What?” Lena asked, unable to keep the smile off of her face as she did.

 

Kara buried her face in the pillow bashfully before peeking up at her and responding. “Nothing, just in love with you.”

 

* * *

 

They’d had time to prepare and eat lunch just the two of them before Sam stopped by with Leni, and Lena was more than happy to see her when she arrived. Sam stepped into the house, carrying both Leni and her overnight bag before setting her down and making their way over to where Lena and Kara were currently cleaning up from lunch in the kitchen.

 

“Hey babe! I missed you!” Lena exclaimed happily as Leni came running down the hall towards her and crashed full speed into her legs.

 

“I missed you momm- Oh! You got an ouchie?” Leni cut off mid sentence as Lena crouched down to her level to give her a proper hug.

 

“No I don’t-..” Lena furrowed her brow in confusion as Leni stared at her with visible concern etched on her little face. It wasn’t until Sam arrived in the kitchen and let out a snort of laughter at the little hand Leni had hovering near Lena’s neck that Lena realized what was happening. “Oh.. That.. I-..” she began to splutter as Sam approached Kara and gave her an enthusiast high five.

 

“Want me to kiss it better?” Leni asked sweetly as she continued to stare at the large bruise that Lena hadn’t known was currently decorating her neck.

 

“I think that’s how she ended up with the ouchie in the first place, kiddo.” Sam teased as Kara snorted a laugh, shooting an apologetic look at Lena after noticing the glare she was currently sending her way.

 

“I’ll be fine babe, just a little bump.” Lena assured her, smiling in relief as the concern left Leni’s face. “I loved your card by the way! It was so beautiful, you did an awesome job!”

 

“Thanks mommy.” Leni smiled proudly before rushing off down the hall to go play with some of her toys. Leaving Lena, Kara and Sam alone in the kitchen.

 

“So..” Sam began the moment Leni was out of earshot.

 

“Don’t even think about it.” Lena cut her off before she had the chance to go any further.

 

“I’m just teasing you!” Sam laughed. “I do hope you guys had a good night though, and that you’re not mad at me for outing your birthday.”

  
”We did.” Kara assured her with a smile. “Thank you for helping me out with everything.”

 

Yeah, thank you for that. I’m not mad, it means a lot that you guys would do all of that for me.” Lena confessed before rounding the counter and pulling Sam into a hug. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Sam smiled as Lena pulled away, although it quickly turned into a grin and Lena could already sense what was coming. “So like are we talking toys or just-”

 

“Samantha! Enough!” she cut her off with a laugh before the three of them headed through to the living room. Sam stayed for a little while, Lena made them each a cup of coffee and the TV played in the background whilst they talked. It was late afternoon when Sam kissed Leni goodbye and headed back home, leaving the three of them to spent the rest of the day together.

 

“I actually should probably be heading home now too, I need to go get the dog and make sure she’s okay, I only asked my neighbor to check on her this morning.” Kara reluctantly told Lena not too much longer after Sam left.

 

They were settled on the couch, Lena’s legs resting over the top of Kara’s as Leni lay sprawled out on the large carpet coloring in one of her books. She had a variety of different colored crayons sprawled out over the floor that Lena knew would no doubt leave marks that she could have to clean up later, but she couldn’t bring herself to care in the moment. The TV was playing quietly in the background and Lena felt so warm and content in that moment that she didn’t ever want anything to change.

 

“Do you have to go home?” she pouted in Kara’s direction, knowing fine well that she did but not wanting to let her go without putting up at least a little resistance.

 

“I do.” Kara replied with an exaggerated pout in an attempt to mock Lena’s.

 

“Do you wanna go get her and come back here? You guys can spent the night?” Lena asked quietly, not wanting to risk Leni hearing and getting excited just in case Kara would prefer to go home. “It’s fine if you don’t though, I know it’s a little bit of a hassle considering we all have to go to work and school tomorrow, or if you just want space or whatever, I really don’t mind-..”

 

“Lena.” Kara cut her off with a laugh. “I’ll go get her now and I’ll head straight back here, is there anything you need from the store or anything while I’m gone?” Kara pressed a quick kiss to her lips before gently shifting Lena’s legs off her lap and standing up.

 

“Nope, we’re good.” Lena assured her with an excited smile. “See you soon.”

 

* * *

 

The sun was just beginning to set as the three of them left the house later that night. Leni was holding Lena’s hand in one of her own and Kara’s in the other as they made their way down the street with Oreo attached to the leash currently in Lena’s free hand. The later summer nights were slowly making their way back in and Lena adored it. Usually it would be pitch black by this time, but the sky was currently a warm amber and it made for a beautiful sight as they made their way to the park. She listened as Leni and Kara played I Spy and kept an eye on Oreo, making sure that there was nothing that she could potentially eat on the path.

 

By the time they made it to the park Leni was all but vibrating with excitement over the prospect of having a turn on the swings. Kara took the leash from Lena to allow her to help Leni up into the seat before she began swinging her gently back and forth.

 

“I wanna go higher mommy!” Leni demanded as she laughed.

 

Lena complied, although she was careful not to go too high and accidentally knock her off. When her arms began to grow tired Kara traded placed with her and began to swing Leni’s seat whilst Lena sat down on the one next to it and began to swing herself as all three of them laughed. She spent a little time tossing a stick around for Oreo to chase whilst Kara kept an eye on Leni as she alternated between the different slides and the see saw.

 

They stayed for a while until it began to grow a little too cold to be out and Leni was getting noticeably tired. She let out a dramatically loud yawn that had both Lena and Kara laughing as they began the walk back to the house.

 

“Here kiddo, hop on.” Kara said as she passed the leash over to Lena and crouched down to the ground. Leni got the hint immediately and happily hopped up onto Kara’s back. “You good? You holding on tight?” Kara asked before standing up, arms hooked tightly around her legs to prevent her from falling off.

 

It was a little past Leni’s usual bedtime when they got back to the house, but Lena wasn’t too worried about it. She quickly bathed and put her pajamas on before both herself and Kara tucked her in to bed. Oreo hopped up too, padding all the way along the length of the bed before plopping down on the pillow beside Leni’s head and letting out a little contented sigh before drifting off to sleep.

 

“Goodnight babe, I love you.” Lena whispered to a now sleeping Leni as she gently closed the book over that she had been reading and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

 

“Night munchkin.” Kara whispered before linking hands with Lena and leaving the room.

 

They each spent a little time showering and getting their clothes and things laid out so that they wouldn’t have to rush around in the morning before giving the house a once over to make sure that everything was switched off and locked up. Lena let out a sigh of relief when she finally collapsed down onto the bed and curled into Kara’s side. She was overwhelmed by the soft scent that she could only attribute to Kara as she nuzzled in closed and felt Kara’s arm pull her in tight.

 

“I love you.” she whispered into Kara’s neck, breathing a laugh at the way she fidgeted as her breath tickled the skin there.

  
”I love you, too.”

 

 


	36. Chapter 36

 

 

“Okay, uh, she has her juice and her teddy and I can put some cereal in one of the tubs for her in case she gets hungry, she’ll probably need to eat something if you guys are away for a while, or maybe I should go make some sandwiches-..” Lena rambled as Kara stood opposite her in the kitchen, Leni’s backpack slung over her shoulder.

 

“Babe, it’s fine.” she cut her off with a laugh. “I can take care of her you don’t need to worry I promise, we’ll see you and Sam at the school tonight. She won’t even need half of the stuff you put in here.”

 

“I would feel a lot better if I knew where you guys were going.” Lena attempted to get the information out of Kara for maybe the fifth time that day.

 

“Yeah, well, that’s too bad. It’s a secret, right Leni?” she turned to face the little ball of excitement currently rushing into the kitchen with her brand new light up sneakers on. “We’ll be fine though, I promise I’ll call or text if anything happens or if either one of us needs you for anything.” Kara reassured Lena with a beaming smile, she knew that if Lena was genuinely concerned about Leni’s well being whilst being in Kara’s company that she would tell her. Lena just didn’t enjoy surprises, but Kara knew she would love this one.

 

“Mommy help! My feet are broken!” Leni called out as she dramatically flopped down onto the floor in the kitchen, legs splayed out in front of her.

 

“What’s wrong babe?” Lena asked as she rounded the counter and crouched down to Leni’s level.

 

“My feet won’t work anymore.” she told Lena with a pout, little eyebrows furrowed in obvious annoyance. “I can’t walk right.”

 

Lena couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up as she quickly scanned down to Leni’s feet and noticed the problem immediately. Her shoes were on the wrong feet, she hadn’t had a chance to put the stickers in the soles to help her remember which way they were supposed to go seeing as how they were so new. She quickly switched them around for her before helping Leni up from the floor.

 

“Okay, how does that feel? Are they working now?” Lena asked with a laugh as she made her way back over to where Kara was currently standing.

 

“Uh huh!” Leni called out as she ran a few circles around the kitchen island. “Thanks mommy!”

 

“You’re very welcome.” Lena called back. “Now quit running before you fall and bump your head, you’re way too cute to risk getting any bruises on that adorable little face.”

 

After making sure everything was sorted and that Leni was ready to leave, Lena made an exaggerated show of squishing her cheeks together before planting a sloppy kiss on her lips as Leni giggled and tried to pull away.

  
”I love you, babe. I want you to be good for Kara, alright?” she told her before standing up and turning to face Kara. “I love you, too and I hope you guys have fun. I’ll see you both later tonight.” she smiled before placing a kiss onto Kara’s lips too.

 

“We will, I love you. See you tonight.” Kara replied with a smile, pressing another quick kiss to Lena’s lips before holding a hand out to Leni. “You ready munchkin?”

 

Lena watched from the door as Kara helped Leni up into the car and made sure she was securely buckled in before closing the door and climbing into the driver’s seat. Lena waved as she watched the car reverse out of the driveway and disappear down the street before she stepped back inside and closed the door over behind her.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, we gotta get you a super nice outfit to surprise mommy with at the spring show.” Kara told Leni as they walked hand in hand down the street.

 

“I want yellow!” Leni called out.

  
”You wanna wear something yellow?” Kara asked, smiling as Leni clarified her answer with a nod. “Sounds good, are you excited? Do you remember all your words for the song?”

 

“Yup!” Leni replied with a smile.

 

They stopped at one of the stores that Kara knew Lena often shopped at for Leni and headed inside. There were rows and rows of different kids and baby clothes, and Kara couldn’t help but fawn over the size of some of the tiny little baby clothes. They looked around for a while, Lena continuously sent her text messages to check in, still having no idea where Kara and Leni had gone, and Kara helped her try on a few different outfits in the changing rooms.

 

The school’s spring play was later that evening and Kara had a special surprised lined up for Lena that she didn’t want to ruin. Leni was performing a solo and Lena had no idea. After picking out a beautiful little pastel yellow dress embroidered with a pattern of different flowers, Kara helped Leni settle on a matching headband and they headed up to the checkout to pay.

 

“You wanna go get some ice cream?” Kara asked as they made their way out of the store and back onto the pavement outside, one hand holding onto the bag and the other securely holding onto Leni’s.

 

“Oh! Yes please!” she replied happily.

 

Once they were settled at one of the booths in the ice cream parlour down the street, Kara pulled her phone out and snapped a few pics of Leni spooning her ice cream out of the large tub with a smile on her face before sending them off to Lena with a message assuring her that both of them were fine and that they were having a great time. They had each gotten a few different flavors in their tubs and by the time they were done, Leni’s shirt was decorated with a variety of different colored ice cream stains.

 

It wasn’t long after they finished eating that Kara pulled up outside of her apartment building and helped Leni out of the car before grabbing the bag too.

 

“This is your house?” Leni asked as she looked up at the large building.

 

“Not the whole thing, it’s called an apartment building.” Kara told her as they stepped inside and made their way towards the elevator. “It’s like a bunch of little mini houses all in the same building.” she explained.

 

“Ooh please can I press the button?” Leni asked as the elevator arrived and the doors opened with a ding.

 

“Of course you can!” Kara told her as they stepped inside. “It’s the one with the number three on it, you remember what the number three looks like?”

 

“That’s how many I am!” Leni told her as she studied the buttons. After a little help from Kara, she located the number three button and clicked on it, smiling widely as it lit up and the elevator began to move.

 

“Oreo is gonna be super happy to see you! She loves you!” Kara told her as they arrived up on the third floor and stepped out into the hallway. Judging by the way Leni gasped and took off down the hallway, Kara guessed that she hadn’t put the pieces together that Oreo would be at her apartment.

 

“Oreo!!” she called out as she ran, slowing only when Kara called her name to inform her that she had run way passed Kara’s apartment door.

 

The little pup was already hopping around excitedly by the door when Kara unlocked it and ushered Leni inside. She giggled as Oreo began trying to hop up and lick the spilled ice cream from her shirt as Kara set the bag down on the counter.

 

“We still have a little bit of time before we need to get ready, do you wanna watch some TV or should we play a game?” Kara asked as she kicked her shoes off and lead Leni through to the living area.

 

“Can we play the dance game?” she asked happily, excitement evident in her tone at the prospect of Kara saying yes to her request.

 

“Of course we can, but you gotta help me because I don’t know how to play.” Kara replied.

 

“Mommy teached me.” Leni told her proudly. “You put some songs on and we dance.”

 

“Oh, I think I get it now.” Kara smiled as she headed over to the TV and switched it on to one of the music stations.

 

Leni immediately began to dance around as the music began playing, and Kara took a quick video to show Lena later on in the evening before she joined in. As it turned out, the winner is decided by whoever can last the longest, and Leni out-danced Kara by miles. She was exhausted by the time she finished, collapsing down onto the couch to catch her breath as Leni rolled around the rug with Oreo.

 

After they each had a quick snack, Kara told Leni that it was time for them to start getting ready if they didn’t want to be late. After quickly changing her own clothes, Kara cleared all food within hands reach and then changed Leni into her new dress, not wanting to risk anything being dropped or spilled on it before Lena had the chance to see it. She spent a little time brushing the tangled out of Leni’s dark curls before braiding it at Leni’s request and then securing the matching yellow hairband onto her head. Leni watched intently as Kara quickly applied a little make up, offering some of her lip gloss to the curious little pair of eyes currently staring at her.

 

“You want some of this? I’ll put it on you.” she offered with a smile as Leni’s face lit up and nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, can you make a kissy face for me munchkin?.. Perfect.” Kara told her as she lightly applied a coat of the shiny pink gloss.

 

“Oh shoot!” Kara called out as she realized that she had forgotten to ask Lena for a pair of Leni’s shoes. She currently had her new light up sneakers with her but they wouldn’t match the outfit at all. “I forgot your shoes, I’m so silly!” Kara told Leni before locating her phone and sending off a quick text to Lena requesting that she bring a pair of Leni’s shoes with her to the school. “I sent a text to your mommy, she’s gonna meet us at school with them.”

 

Once the two of them were ready, they took a few silly faced selfies for Lena and then Kara helped Leni into her coat. After making sure that Oreo had plenty of water, she stepped outside and locked the apartment door behind her.

 

Kara spotted Lena’s car in the school parking lot and she quickly reversed her own car into the free space beside it. There were already parents heading inside to get seated in the hall, no doubt wanting to get as close to the stage as they could to be able to see their kids clearly. She helped Leni out of the seat and the two of them made their way straight in and down the hallway to Kara’s classroom where a few other children had already arrived and were doing a quick run through of the songs with Kara’s assistant teacher.

 

After leaving Leni with them, Kara left the room and rushed through the building to the large hall where she knew Lena and Sam must be seated. She pulled her phone out once she made it to the doors and sent off a quick text to Lena.

_Kara: Hey babe, I’m outside the hall. Do you have Leni’s shoes? -K x_

 

Her phone buzzed almost immediately with a reply and Kara was relieved that Lena clearly hadn’t switched it off yet.

 

_Lena: Yeah I’ve got them, be out in a sec. -L x_

__

Kara stepped aside a little, not wanting to block the entrance as she waited for Lena. She spotted her after a few moments. She was dressed beautifully in a dark green blouse that brought out the color of her eyes in a way that Kara was pretty sure was illegal. Her hair was loosely curled and the heels that she had on meant that they were now almost the same height.

 

“Wow, you look.. __wow.__ ” Lena complimented as she approached Kara.

 

“You clean up pretty good yourself, Miss Luthor.” she told her with a wink before pulling her in for a quick hug. “Thanks for the shoes, I gotta run.” Kara regrettably pulled away after Lena passed Leni’s sparkly silver shoes over.

 

“You still not gonna tell me what’s happening?” Lena called after her as Kara rushed down the hallway.

 

“Nope!” she teased back before rounding the corner and disappearing out of Lena’s line of sight.

 

Kara quickly helped Leni change out of her sneakers and into the shoes that Lena had brought before she called on the whole class and did a quick run through of the songs that they would be singing. Kara’s class were the third class due up on the stage, and before long it was time for them to head down to the hall.

 

After giving Leni a quick kiss and reassuring her and the rest of the class that they were going to be amazing, Kara snuck off through the stage door and made her way down into the dark hall where all of the parents, family and friends of the children were watching the little boy currently singing on the stage. She quickly spotted Lena and Sam sitting in the front row over by the left and made her way over to them.

 

“Hey!” she whispered as she pressed a quick kiss to Lena’s cheek, not worrying too much about the stares given the fact that the only lights in the large hall were directed at the stage so no one could see them anyway.

 

“Hi!” Lena whispered back, taking Kara’s hand in her own and resting it on her lap as they continued to watch the show.

 

A few children sang on their own and each class took it in turns to sing as a group before Kara’s class was up. They filed on to the stage and Kara felt butterflies creep up into her chest as she gave Leni a quick thumbs up and watched as she stepped forward. Her shoes sparkled as the spotlights hit them and Lena audibly awed at the sight of her outfit.

 

“Oh my god! She looks so beautiful!” she told Kara as she rested her head on her shoulder.

 

“Okay, up first from Miss Danvers’ class we have Elena Luthor singing a very special song about spring!” a voice over the speakers informed them, and Lena gasped as she realized what was happening.

 

The piano began to play as Leni’s little voice filled the hall. She wasn’t the _best_ singer, but it was the best thing that Lena had ever heard. Kara watched as her eyes began brimming with tears and breathed a laugh at the sight of her big cry baby girlfriend beside her. Lena applauded loudly when Leni finished up, laughing as she added a little unplanned twirl instead of a bow before stepping back to join the rest of her class and sing the rest of their songs.

 

“That was.. amazing. Thank you.” Lena told Kara as they began making their way out of the hall later that night. “I can’t believe you did all that, she really looked beautiful.”

 

“It was my pleasure, I just wanted to surprise you with it.” Kara replied as she linked her arm with Lena’s.

 

Sam hugged each of them goodbye as they waited by the doors for Leni to arrive. They spotted her not long after and she made her way over to them.

 

“Oh my gosh babe! You did so good! I’m so proud of you!” Lena exclaimed as she scooped her up and smothered her face with kisses. “Did you have so much fun? I love your dress, you’re so beautiful!”

 

“Thanks mommy.” Leni laughed as she wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck, a clear indication that she had no intention of walking to the car and instead wanted Lena to take her.

 

After setting Leni down in the car and buckling her in, Lena gently closed the door over before turning to kiss Kara goodbye. She really wanted her to stay, but Alex was arriving early the next morning and Kara had to be up even earlier to pick her up from the train station.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Lena asked as she pulled back from the kiss.

 

“See you tomorrow.” Kara confirmed with a smile before taking off for her own car.

 

Leni passed out in the car like usual, and she didn’t so much as stir when Lena unbuckled her and took her inside. She gently set her down on the bed after making it up to her room and swapped Leni’s dress for a pair of her pajamas.

 

“Goodnight babe, I love you.” Lena whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead and then padding quietly out of the room.

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

 

 

“You ready to go?” Kara asked with a smile as she swung a large backpack over her shoulder and then grabbed Lena’s case from her with her free hand as she approached.

 

“I think so.” Lena muttered, too lost in her own head trying to make sure that she absolutely wasn’t forgetting anything to fully pay attention to Kara. “I have enough clothes to last us for the two weeks, Leni has her teddy so she’ll be fine getting to sleep, I have toiletries and snacks for the train.. Yeah, I’m ready to go.” she confirmed with a nod after running through her mental checklist.

 

Kara pulled her in with a quick kiss before Lena stepped away and made her way out the front door, stopping only when Kara’s voice cut her off.

 

“Uh, babe? Aren’t you forgetting something?” Kara laughed, still standing inside Lena’s house and calling out to her from the door.

 

“No, I have everythi-.. Oh shit! Leni!” Lena called out before sprinting back into the house as Kara laughed wildly.

 

Leni was asleep on the couch in the living room, she had barely slept at all the previous evening and while Lena wouldn’t admit it, she hadn’t either. The three of them were heading to Midvale to spent spring break at Kara’s childhood home and Lena was a complete mess of nerves and panic. Alex had come by a few weeks before and insisted that both Lena and Leni come back with Kara this year, and Lena had been helpless to resist Kara’s hopeful expression.

 

She was extremely nervous about meeting Kara’s mother, and she was worried about bringing Leni too. She didn’t want to impose or end up bringing chaos to Kara’s moms house, but after briefly speaking on the phone to the woman she felt a little bit more reassured that she wasn’t being a hassle and that Kara’s mom was genuinely alright with the three of them coming. Leni had never spent the night anywhere that wasn’t her own house or Sam’s, so Lena was a little concerned about her settling down at night but given the fact that both herself and Kara would be with her she figured she would most likely be alright.

 

“Babe, I can hear you thinking from here.” Kara laughed as she placed a reassuring hand on Lena’s thigh as they sat in the train carriage.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m just nervous.” Lena admitted with a small smile.

 

“You don’t have any reason to be, you’re amazing and my mom is gonna love you guys!” she gestured to Leni, who hadn’t woken up at all on the car ride to the station and was still currently passed out on the seat opposite Lena, using Oreo as a pillow. “I’m just excited to be able to show you around, the beach is so beautiful at this time of year and Eliza has this beautiful swing out on the porch that you’re gonna love.”

 

The obvious excitement on Kara’s face was enough to ease off Lena’s fears, she could see it in the way her eyes sparkled that little bit extra just how happy Kara was to have them both with her and it meant the world to Lena.

 

“I love you.” she told her with a smile before resting her head on Kara’s shoulder.

 

“I love you, too.” Kara smiled in return before pressing a kiss to Lena’s forehead. “You know, the last time I came home was just before Christmas, I was a mess about everything and honestly I wasn’t sure we were ever going to get here.” Kara admitted as she wrapped an arm around Lena’s shoulder. “I’m really glad we did though, I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.”

 

“I can’t take all of the credit.” Lena breathed a small laugh despite the way her eyes were welling up ever so slightly with tears, completely overwhelmed by the gratitude she felt for the woman currently sitting beside her. “I never ever would’ve gotten here without you.”

 

They spent the duration of the train journey talking on and off while they watched the scenery whizz by. Lena pulled out the snacks that she had packed up as soon as Leni woke up and the three of them enjoyed the food whilst Oreo gave her very best puppy dog eyes in an attempt to get some for herself.

 

By the time the train pulled into the station Lena was beyond relieved to be getting off. She was struggling to keep Leni entertained and desperately trying to avoid a boredom tantrum. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before it pulled to a stop and the three of them were able to get up and stretch their legs. Kara got the luggage down from the rack above their heads and then linked hands with Leni so that she was walking safely in the middle of them both as Lena secured Oreos leash to her collar and held it in her free hand.

 

“Eliza!” Kara called out almost the second they rounded the corner of the platform and rushed off towards a friendly looking blonde woman who immediately pulled her in for a hug.

 

Lena stayed back a little with Leni’s hand in her own and Oreo tugging away on the leash in her other one. Eliza spent a few moments hugging Kara before she pulled away and turned to Lena. She could feel her palms sweating and prayed that no one would notice as Kara introduced them.

 

“Eliza, this is my girlfriend Lena.” Kara told her with a proud smile. “And Lena, this is Eliza.”

 

“Oh it’s so nice to finally meet you sweetie!” Eliza beamed before pulling Lena into a hug. She was caught off guard and accidentally dropped Oreos leash, but thankfully Kara was there to catch it and make sure she didn’t run off.

 

“Likewise, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. Thank you so much for having us.” Lena told Eliza, voice a little muffled by the woman’s shoulder.

 

“Oh it’s my pleasure, dear! I’ve been looking forward to this for a while!” She told her as she squeezed a little tighter. “And who’s this adorable little cookie?” Eliza asked as she pulled away from Lena and crouched down in front of Leni.

 

“I’m Leni!” she announced proudly.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leni.” Eliza smiled before holding her hand up for Leni to give her a high five. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”

 

The drive back from the train station wasn’t a long one, and Lena found herself feeling a lot more relaxed when they pulled up in the driveway a short while later. The garden was beautifully decorated with a variety of different plants and flowers, and it appeared that the house was all but right on top of the sand. Lena could hear the waves of the ocean crashing from behind the house and she guessed that the backyard must give way to the beach that Kara had been talking about. The whole place was beautiful and it really seemed like a lovely, stress free place to spend her time off work.

 

“Wow.. This is.. incredible.” Lena told Eliza as they stepped out of the car. “It’s so beautiful here.”

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Eliza smiled back warmly. “I love it here, although I love it even more when I have company.”

 

“I’m so happy to be here.” she complimented before all four of them and Oreo headed inside.

 

Kara lead her up to the bedroom as soon as they entered the house so that they could deposit their stuff whilst Eliza helped them up with the cases.

 

“Oh! I made up Alex’s bed for Leni if you’re alright with that Lena.” Eliza told her with a smile. “It’s totally fine if you’d rather she sleep with you, but the option is there in case it gets a little cramped in Kara’s bed.”

 

“Thank you so much Eliza, you really didn’t have to do that.” Lena smiled before picking up Leni’s little Disney case from the floor and taking her hand. “Hey babe, you wanna go check out Alex’s room and see if you like it?” Lena asked happily.

 

“Uh huh.” Leni nodded before taking Lena’s hand and following Eliza right next door to Alex’s room.

 

“Thanks again Eliza, this is perfect.” Lena gestured around to the room. The walls were somewhat plain, lacking what Lena assumed must have been posters given the slight paint discoloration in the shape of a few rectangles spread around the room. She assumed that Alex must have taken most of her things with her when she moved out, but the room was still beautiful and the view of the beach from the large window opposite the bed was breathtaking.

 

After sorting through their things and getting settled in, they each headed downstairs for dinner where Eliza had prepared what Lena could only describe as a banquet.

 

“I wasn’t sure what you guys liked so I just made a little bit of everything.” Eliza told them with a smile as they took their seats around the large wooden table in the dining room.

 

“Ugh I miss your cooking so much when I’m gone.” Kara all but drooled as she hungrily eyed the contents of the table.

 

“This all looks incredible, I don’t know where to start.” Lena laughed as she grabbed a slice of plain cheese pizza and set it down on the plate next to her for Leni before adding a few more things for her.

 

By the time dinner was over Lena felt as though she was about to burst. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had felt so full but everything had just tasted so _good_  that she couldn’t help herself. She understood where Kara got her love of food from if most of her teen meals had consisted of things like this.

 

 Lena insisted on helping Eliza clean up despite the woman’s protests that she was their guest. Eliza eventually settled on letting Lena dry the dishes while she washed them and the two of them stood side by side at the sink as they watched Kara, Leni and Oreo run around with a ball in the large backyard.

 

“She seems really happy.” Eliza noted as she nodded towards Kara outside. “I know you guys had a little bit of a rough beginning but I can’t tell you how much it means to me to see her so happy and content. Truth be told, I always worried a little that she wouldn’t have this given everything that she’s been through, but I’m so incredibly happy that she found you, Lena.”

 

Of all the things that Lena had been expecting Eliza to say to her when they finally had a moment alone, that certainly wasn’t it and she almost couldn’t believe the worlds that Eliza was telling her.

 

“I-..” Lena began before trailing off, completely unsure about what to say as she dried off the plate currently in her hands. “S- She’s really strong, and she makes me happier than I thought that I could be.”

 

“I’m so glad to hear that, and your little girl is just.. beyond adorable.” Eliza breathed a laugh. “Kara talks about the two of you a lot, but the real thing is much better I must admit.”

 

It didn’t take long for the two of them to finished cleaning up, and once everything was tidied and put away Lena headed outside to join Kara and Leni for a little while before getting her ready for bed. Eliza had run a bubble bath for her when they were all out playing with the ball and Lena thanked her profusely before bathing Leni and putting her pajamas on.

 

“Okay babe, I’ll be right next door if you need me for anything at night alright? Don’t worry about anything, I’ll keep the door open so you can just call on me if you want me. I love you.” Lena told Leni as she tucked her into Alex’s bed a little while later.

 

“Love you mommy.” Leni replied sleepily, kissing Lena goodnight before nuzzling into Oreo and settling down to sleep.

 

When Lena headed back down the stairs she spotted Kara through the window sitting on the porch swing outside and immediately made her way out to join her. Kara’s arm lifted almost instinctively and Lena curled into her side as they gently swung back and forth. The sunset was breathtaking as it began to disappear along the line of the ocean, and the sound of the waves gently crashing was beyond soothing.

 

“Thank you for bringing us here, it’s amazing.” Lena whispered, not wanting to break the invisible bubble of calm that they were currently enveloped in.

 

“Thank you for coming.” Kara replied with a smile. “I love having you here so much, Alex will be by tomorrow for dinner and then I’ll have all of my favorite people under one roof.”

 

They stayed outside for a while, long after the sun had completely set and only headed back in once it was too cold for them to stay out. Lena quickly showered and changed before poking her head in to Alex’s room to check that Leni was okay. After seeing that she was, Lena headed next door into Kara’s room where Kara was already curled up on her side of the bed.

 

It was warm and comfortable beneath the noticeably freshly washed sheets and Lena felt completely content as she curled herself into Kara’s side and drifted off to sleep with the sound of the ocean gently coming in through the slightly opened window across the room.

 

 


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long I've been suuuuper busy, I was at ultimates this past weekend if any of u wanna stalk my personal twitter @kashymcgraths xx

 

 

Laying on the soft striped beach towel with her toes buried in the sand, the sun beaming down and the sound of Leni and Kara’s joint laughter surrounding her was quickly becoming one of Lena’s favorite memories. They had been at Eliza’s place for almost a week and she was having the time of her life. It was the first vacation that she had been on since Leni was born that didn’t consist of just the two of them. Lena loved taking Leni to new places, she adored how excited she got and it made her heart burst seeing the happiness on her face, but it was never much of a vacation for Lena herself seeing as how she was constantly keeping an eye on her tiny little daughter and making sure that everything was always organized when it came to packing and travelling and such.

 

Being in Midvale was a completely different experience, Eliza had quickly grown to adore Leni and Leni loved her right back. Lena didn’t have to keep her eyes peeled every single second, between Eliza, Kara and Alex each taking turns playing with her and having an extra three sets of eyes on her, Lena was able to actually relax and she loved it.

 

She was currently propped up on her elbows, peeking out over the top of her large rounded sunglasses as she watched Leni and Kara standing on the wet part of the sand and laughing wildly when the waves came lapping up over their toes before retreating back into the sea. She found herself feeling the overwhelming bubble of warmth more and more these days. It was almost a permanent part of her by now, there was just something so incredible about watching the woman she loved having such an amazing relationship with her daughter, and the fact that said woman was currently on display in a pale yellow bikini also added to the experience.

 

Lena continued to watch for a while, although she didn’t think that she could pull her gaze away if she tried. She’s not sure how long she was staring, but it quickly escalated from her swooning over the two of them to her shamelessly checking out Kara and the way the pastel yellow shade of the bikini complimented her lightly tanned skin perfectly. She desperately wanted to rip it off, jealous of the way it clung to her hips. Skin tight and smooth looking, although not as smooth as she knew the skin underneath was-

 

“Oh my god what the fuck!” Lena screamed as she was torn from her thoughts and suddenly soaked through with violently cold water.

 

“You just looked a little thirsty.” Alex shrugged casually as she plopped down onto the sand beside the now soaked towel, laughing at the death glare she was currently receiving from Lena.

 

Kara’s laughter was audible as both she and Leni made their way back up to where they were sitting after witnessing the commotion and grabbed their own towels to dry off a little. She passed the Leni’s sandcastle bucket over to her and watched as she plopped down and began excitedly filling it up.

 

“I thought I was the one supposed to be getting you wet.” Kara whispered with a smirk as she took a seat down beside Lena, laughing at the dramatically loud gag that came from Alex’s direction.

 

“Okay, ew, no, gross, we’re not doing this.” Alex exclaimed before scrambling to her feet. “I’ll be with the kid if anyone needs me.” she told them as she shot a final look of disgust in their direction before grabbing a bucket and heading over to where Leni was building her sandcastle.

 

“You alright?” Kara asked with a smile as she eyed Lena’s messy hair, already beginning to dry from the heat of the sun.

 

“Nope I think I might just have to break up with you.” she joked as the two of them lay down and Lena settled her head on Kara’s chest.

 

They stayed outside for most of the day whilst Eliza was at work. They spent the majority of their time relaxing and messing around in the sand, building sandcastles and digging holes to bury one another in up to their necks until her shifted ended and she arrived back home. Once she was back, Eliza suggested that they set up the barbecue for dinner and they all immediately agreed before getting everything set up. Alex was in charge of the grill whilst Lena and Kara helped Eliza bring all of the food outside, through the back garden and out onto the beach.

 

“I wanna help Alex!” Leni called out as she made her way over to Alex and stood up on her tiptoes to peek up at the food currently sizzling away on the grill.

 

“I’m sorry kiddo, but you gotta go wait over there with your mom, the fire is dangerous.” Alex told her softy. “But I promise you can have the first burger, alright?”

 

“Alright.” Leni replied with a pout before making her way over to where Lena was currently sitting on the porch swing and climbing up onto it with her.

 

“Hey babe, you okay?” Lena asked as she wrapped her arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. It was getting a little colder now that the sun was slowly beginning to set and Lena took off her own sweater and pulled it over Leni’s head, laughing at the way she all but drowned in it.

 

“I want to cook with Alex, mommy.” Leni told her grumpily.

 

“I know babe, but it’s just a little too dangerous for you right now.” Lena informed her, attempting to hold back a laugh at the look of disapproval on Leni’s face.

 

When all of the food was cooked and piled up on plates, they all plopped down onto the large picnic blanket on the sand and watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon. The sky went through a rainbow of different colors, blues and whites bleeding into red and oranges before the darkness enveloped them and Alex set up a fire.

 

Kara suggested s’mores, and after an excited yell of approval from Leni and a quick dance to express her enthusiasm, Lena located Oreo’s leash and the four of them headed out to the store to get some marshmallows and chocolate, leaving Eliza and Alex to tend to the fire. Leni skipped happily along between Lena and Kara as they walked down the path from Eliza’s house in the direction of the little corner shop at the end of the road. When they arrived, Lena stayed outside with Oreo whilst Kara and Leni headed inside to get what they needed. They weren’t inside long, and when they emerged Kara was holding the shopping bag in one hand and Leni’s hand in her other.

 

They spent the evening out by the fire until Leni eventually passed out in Lena’s arms. Kara gently picked her up from her lap to allow Lena to stand up before they wished everyone a goodnight and headed back through the yard into the house. Kara gently set Leni down on the bed before Lena tucked her in and they made their way through to Kara’s bedroom to settle down for the night.

 

The rest of the week at Eliza’s went by quicker than any of them would have liked, and before they knew it the three of them and Oreo were standing on the platform surrounded by their luggage whilst they waited to board the train.

 

“It was such a pleasure meeting you sweetie.” Eliza told Lena as she pulled her in for a hug. “I hope you know that you’re always welcome here, and that you can call me if you need absolutely anything, aright?”

 

“Thank you so much Eliza.” Lena subtly tried to blink back her tears as she gently squeezed Eliza. “Same goes for you, just call if you need anything.” She told her before pulling away and bending down to pick Leni up. “You wanna say bye to Eliza?” Lena asked as she guided Leni towards her.

 

“Bye bye Eliza!” Leni told her as she reached her arms out and pulled her in for a hug.

 

“Bye Leni! It was so lovely to meet you.” Eliza smiled as she pulled her out of Leni’s arms and into a tight bear hug. “I’ll see you guys soon.” she told them before setting Leni back down and pulling both Lena and Kara in for a final hug.

 

The train pulled into the station shortly afterwards and the three of them piled inside, setting their bags and cases down before locating their seats and settling down. Oreo and Leni fell asleep almost instantly and Lena curled up against Kara before she began dozing on her shoulder.

 

By the time they arrived home Lena figured it would make more sense for Kara to just come stay at her place for the evening so that they could sort out all of their luggage and things the following morning. Well, that and the fact that she really wasn’t ready to let her go after spending a full two weeks cuddled up to her at night.

 

“You wanna come stay with u-..”

 

“Yes!” Kara called out, cutting Lena off before she could even get the rest of the question out. The two of them shared at laugh before Lena spoke up again.

 

“I miss you already and you’re not even gone yet.” she pouted dramatically as they pulled into the driveway.

 

“Hey mommy can we get pizza?” Leni asked as she wriggled around in her seat, eager to get out and run around after sitting still for so long.

 

“Oh please can we get pizza?” Kara immediately turned to Lena, putting on her best puppy dog face as she stared at her.

 

“Yes we can get pizza.” Lena laughed before unbuckling her seat belt and climbing out of the car. After stretching out her muscles for a quick second, she moved to the back end of the car and helped Leni and Oreo out before assisting Kara in getting the luggage out of the trunk.

 

“Leni, babe, can you go put your toy bag back in your room please? Mommy is gonna call the pizza place.” Lena told her as she passed Leni’s little mini travel back filled with things to keep her occupied on the train journey and guided her towards the stairs.

 

Their pizza arrived shortly after they had settled down and the three of them tucked into it in the living room in front of the TV before tidying everything up and heading to bed. After tucking both Leni and Oreo in, Lena and Kara headed through to Lena’s room and passed out almost immediately.

 

“I had so much fun with your mom, thank you for letting us share that with you.” Lena whispered as they settled beneath the covers and automatically shifted closer to one another.

 

“I’m glad you had fun.” Kara replied, smile visible in her voice as she pulled Lena a little closer. “Thank you for coming.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this was short but next one will be smutty to make up for it


	39. Chapter 39

 

 

Kara felt her entire body protest when the loud ringing of her alarm sounded throughout the room, disturbing the calm early morning silence that she had previously been subconsciously enjoying as she slept. She almost hit the off switch and rolled over to go back to sleep until she remembered the very reason that her alarm was going off at such an ungodly hour in the first place. The reason was staring up at her from the lock screen of her phone as the alarm continued to blare, the identical smiles of both Lena and Leni looking up at her from their campfire at the beach a few weeks ago was what eventually got her up and out of the warmth of her bed after she shut off the alarm.

 

It was ridiculously early, and Kara blindly made her way to the kitchen as she filled the kettle up with water and set it on to boil. After taking Oreo out to pee and then filling her bowl with food, Kara set about making herself a cup of coffee and tossed a few slices of bread into the toaster. She felt significantly more human as she sat down on the couch and began to eat her breakfast. She spent a little time catching up on the news before finishing up and depositing her plate and mug into the sink.

 

After grabbing a quick shower and getting herself dressed and ready for the day, Kara kissed Oreo goodbye and headed out of her apartment. She had a few places to stop by to pick up some things before making her way to Lena’s place, and she knew that she would have to be quick if there was any hope of her making it into the house before Lena woke up for the day.

 

Kara’s first stop was the supermarket by her apartment. She grabbed a few different items for breakfast, some stuff for pancakes and a few of Lena’s favorite chocolate bars before paying and heading back to the car. Her next stop was the flower store just down the street, she had called a few days ago to place the order so all she had to do was run in and collect the almost ridiculously large bunch of flowers. They were propped up in a beautiful pink cardboard box with a large red bow wrapped around it and Kara had to admit that they were beautiful, she hoped that Lena would love them. Her final stop was the bakery right near Lena’s place. She knew that her girlfriend adored the pastries from here, although she rarely allowed herself to indulge in them.

 

After she had everything that she needed, Kara set the bunch of flowers on the passenger’s seat and made her way to Lena’s house. She took extra care to be as quiet as she could as she unloaded the car and snuck in with the key that she had gotten from Sam a few days before. She quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside before making her way through to the dining room and setting everything up.

 

When she was happy with how everything looked, Kara began heading upstairs, still taking extra care to be quiet so that she didn’t wake Lena. Part of her desperately wanted to surprise her, although the other part was genuinely concerned that Lena would think someone was breaking into the house and she really didn’t want to startle her. Kara successfully made it up the stairs and into Leni’s bedroom before gently taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

 

“Hey munchkin, you gotta get up.” she whispered softly as she pulled the covers back and began rubbing light circles on Leni’s back. “I have a surprise for mommy, and I need your help.”

 

Kara breathed a laugh at the way Leni’s head poked up from beneath the pillow. Her face was flushed and her hair was a mess as she silently reached out for Kara, still half asleep whilst Kara scooped her up and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

 

“Good morning, did you have a good sleep?” she whispered as she adjusted Leni on her hip, laughing once again at the tired nod she got in reply before making her way back down the stairs.

 

When they arrived in the kitchen, Kara filled one of Leni’s cups with orange juice and then settled her on one of the stools at the island before heading over to the counter and grabbing one of the bags that she had brought with her. She quickly began taking the supplies out and passing them over to Leni.

 

“Okay kiddo, you wanna draw a nice card for mommy for mother’s day?” Kara asked her as she pulled out a stool and took a seat beside Leni. “I’ll help you draw it if you want.”

 

Leni nodded excitedly before the two of them set about making a card for Lena. Kara knew that Lena’s alarm would be going off soon and she left Leni to finish up coloring the card as she grabbed a tray and set up breakfast on it for Lena, along with a cup of coffee and little stack of the chocolates that she had bought from the store earlier that morning. After helping Leni down from the stool and guiding her upstairs, Kara quietly backed up into Lena’s bedroom door, both hands still clutching the tray as she told Leni to go wake her up.

 

“Mommy!” Leni called out as she sprinted onto the bed, card still clutched in her hands as she flopped down on top of Lena.

 

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Kara beamed as she made her way over to the bed and leaned down to plant a kiss on the top of Lena’s head.

 

“W-.. What’s all this?” Lena gestured to the tray in Kara’s hands as she took a seat on the bed beside her. “What are you doing here?” she laughed.

 

“I don’t know, I figured you probably hadn’t had a proper mother’s day celebration and you deserve it so much, I wanted to give you that.” Kara told her softly, smiling at the tears that were welling up in Lena’s eyes.

 

“Here mommy!” Leni cut in before Lena could fully break down in tears, crawling over the bed before passing the card over to her whilst Kara shuffled up and settled on the pillows beside Lena and helped her sit up.

 

“Did you make this for me?!” Lena asked as she took the card from Leni and planted a sloppy kiss on her face. “It’s beautiful! I love it so much!”

 

After Leni took a moment to explain each of the cute little drawings on the card, Kara pulled the tray over and set it down on Lena’s lap.

 

“Here, I’ll get the munchkin ready, you just enjoy breakfast in bed.” She told her before planting a soft kiss on her lips and climbing up from the bed. “Come on tiny, let’s go get some cereal.” Kara held her hands out to Leni, who immediately began bouncing on the bed, making her way over to Kara before pouncing onto her.

 

“Thank you so much for this.” Lena told her sincerely, eyes welling up again. “I love you both so much.”

 

“We love you too.” Kara told her before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.

 

Once Lena was alone she pulled her phone out and snapped a few quick photos of the amazing breakfast currently resting on her lap before she switched over to her text messages and typed one up to Sam.

 

_Lena: Happy Mother’s Day, you know I wouldn’t be a functional human being without you. I love you xx_

 

After hitting send Lena set her phone back down on the bedside table and tucked into her breakfast. She had never had breakfast in bed in her entire life, and she had to admit that it was an incredible treat, and one that she most definitely hadn’t been expecting. She smiled as her phone buzzed with a reply from Sam a few moments later.

 

_Sam: Love you so much mama bear, have the best day xx_

__

Kara and Leni were halfway through their own breakfast at the island in the kitchen when Lena appeared with the empty tray in her hands and set it down on the counter before creeping up behind Kara and encircling her arms around her waist.

 

“Breakfast was amazing, thank you so much.” she told her before pressing a kiss to the side of her neck as Kara squirmed a little at the light ticklish sensation.

 

“I helped mommy!” Leni called out through a mouthful of cereal, earning a laugh from both Lena and Kara as a drop of milk escaped her mouth and dripped down her chin.

 

“You did a great job baby!” Lena told her as she wiped the spilled milk from her face before planting a kiss on the top of her head.

 

“So, I kind of have another few surprises up my sleeve for the rest of the day.” Kara told Lena as she began to tidy up the bowls and cutlery from breakfast. “I need you to march your cute little butt upstairs and get dressed. We’ll be leaving in an hour.”

 

Lena didn’t even have a chance to protest or ask where they were going before Kara was ushering her out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the staircase.

 

“Don’t worry about the munchkin, I’ve got her.” she assured Lena before waving her off up the stairs.

 

Lena had no idea what Kara had planned or where on earth they may be going so she planned her outfit based on what Kara was currently wearing and figured it would be her best bet. She opted for her favorite pair of navy jeans and paired them with one of her nicer shirts before stepping into her sneakers. She could hear Kara getting Leni dressed in her room down the hall as she did her own hair and makeup, and she laughed as they each emerged from the rooms at exactly the same time.

 

“Good timing.” Kara winked with a smile as the three of them headed down the stairs and out into the car.

 

“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” Lena asked as the car began pulling out of the driveway and Kara reached over to intertwine their hands on her lap.

 

“Nope, you’ll just have to wait and see.” she replied with a cheeky smile as they took off down the road.

 

They drove for a while, the crowded city roads gradually giving way to the significantly less busy roads of the surrounding areas as the view of the large buildings slowly bled into greenery. When the car eventually pulled to a stop on a quiet side road, Lena turned to look at Kara with confusion evident on her face.

 

“We’re here.” Kara told her with a smile as she shut the engine off and shifted to face Lena.

 

“Where exactly is here?” Lena gestured around. “and what exactly are we doing here?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Nothing?” Lena questioned, still noticeably confused.

 

“You never stop and take time for yourself, so we’re doing absolutely nothing, in the middle of nowhere.” Kara told her, not even giving Lena the chance to reply before she opened the car door and stepped out.

 

Lena watched from the passengers seat as Kara rounded the car, but instead of opening the back door to get Leni out like Lena thought she would, Kara continued on to the trunk of the car and began taking things out of it.

 

“Mommy can we go out now?” Leni asked as she wriggled around in her seat.

 

“Yeah baby, give me a second I’ll get you out.” Lena told her before unbuckling her own belt and getting out of the car. “Do you need any help babe?” she asked Kara as she made her way around the car.

 

“Nope, I’m good.” Kara called back as Lena pulled open the door at Leni’s side and started unbuckling her before lifting her down from the seat and helping her to climb out of the car.

 

Lena’s eyes fell on the gigantic picnic basket that Kara was currently carrying when both herself and Leni made their way around to where she was standing.

 

“Come on, we’re going this way.” Kara nodded with her head in the direction of one of the fields as the three of them took off walking.

 

“Is this another one of your special places that you found whilst being lost?” Lena asked with a laugh as she hooked her arm through Kara’s free one and let her head fall onto her shoulder as they walked. Leni had rushed off ahead of them and was currently sprinting across the grass.

 

“Will you make fun of me if I say yes?” Kara replied, smile evident in her voice.

 

“I can neither confirm nor deny that.” Lena teased back.

 

They walked a little further along until a large tree came into view. There were a few smaller ones in the surrounding areas but the one just up ahead of them was breathtakingly beautiful.

 

“Here we are.” Kara stopped as she gestured towards the tree and set the picnic basket down on the warm grass. “I hope this is all okay?” she asked Lena, a hint of insecurity flashing across her face as she turned to look at her.

 

“Kara this is.. it’s.. I don’t even know what to say.” she breathed as she looked around. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before, it’s beyond okay, it’s just.. thank you.”

 

“Come here you big softy.” Kara smiled warmly despite the teasing tone of her voice as she pulled Lena into a hug. Lena didn’t ever want to pull away, she felt so safe and so loved between Kara and Leni at this very moment that she was unsure what to even do about it.

 

They stayed beneath the tree for a few hours. Kara pulled a gigantic picnic blanket out of the basket and laid it down on the grass for them before she began unpacking the food. She really had outdone herself, there was a variety of different sandwiches and little pastries and so many other things that had Lena struggling with what to eat first. The sun was beaming down on them and Leni was running around chasing butterflies and giggling like a maniac as the two of them watched from the shade that the branches of the tree provided. When she got tired, Lena retreated back to the blanket and flopped down on Kara’s lap as she reached for one of the juice pouches that she had packed earlier to give to her.

 

The two of them spent a little time teaching Leni how to make daisy chains, and while she hadn’t quite mastered it, she thoroughly enjoyed modelling the ones that Kara and Lena had made. She pranced around the grass with them on every available area. One around her neck, one on either wrist and a crown on daisies on her head as both Lena and Kara snapped photos of it.

 

“This has been the most perfect day ever, thank you so much.” Lena told Kara once they were back in the car and returning to the city with Leni passed out in the back seat like usual.

 

“You don’t have to thank me, I had an amazing day too.” Kara told her as she reached out for Lena’s hands. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, so much.” Lena squeezed her fingers around Kara’s to emphasize her point.

 

They drove in comfortable silence until they made their way back into the city. It was getting a little later and the light from the sun was gradually beginning to dim when Kara spoke up once again over the soft hum of whatever song was currently playing on the radio.

 

“So, I have one more thing planned for today, but only if you’re comfortable with it.” she looked over at Lena for a quick second before returning her focus back to the road.

 

“What it is?” Lena asked as she gently ran the pad of her thumb over the top of Kara’s hand. She watched as Kara’s eyes quickly drifted to the mirror between them to check on Leni before speaking up again.

 

“Alex is here, she got in this afternoon and I asked if she would mind watching Leni for the night at your place.” she told Lena. “I spoke to the kid about it and she seemed excited, but I just wanted to check in with you.”

 

“I-.. Yeah, I mean, that’s fine, but why? Where are we going?” Lena asked, brow furrowed ever so slightly in confusion.

 

“Well, I was thinking we could go to my place.” she said in her most subtle suggestive tone, hoping that Lena would take the hint without her having to flat out explain with Leni still in the car.

 

“Oh..” she replied casually before pausing for a moment. “ _Oh!”_ Lena exclaimed a few seconds later.

 

“There we go.” Kara laughed as she eventually caught on.

 

“Oh, yeah, no, that sounds great, fine by me.” Lena replied enthusiastically as she joined in on the laughter.

 

Alex’s car was already parked in Lena’s driveway when they pulled up outside, and Lena carefully carried Leni inside before waking her up as gently as she could.

 

“Hey little babe, Alex is here to see you.” she whispered they all made their way into the living room where Oreo was running around with one of her toys.

 

“Hey munchkin! I missed you!” Alex told her with a smile when Leni’s eyes fluttered open.

 

“Alex!” she called out as she rubbed tiredly at her eyes before reaching her arms out for her.

 

“You still cool if I sleep over here tonight with you?” she asked as she took Leni from Lena’s arms and pulled her in for a hug.

 

“Uh huh!” Leni nodded excitedly.

 

“I’ll be right back.” Lena told them all with a smile before she retreated quickly up the stairs.

 

After making sure Leni was settled and giving Alex every possible phone number that she could ever need for any event, Lena and Kara kissed Leni goodbye and headed back out to the car after profusely thanking Alex for watching her.

 

The car ride to Kara’s place was thick with tension. Lena could already feel herself heating up when Kara’s hand slipped onto her thigh to hold whilst she drove and she could see Kara visibly smiling in anticipation.

 

“Where did you sneak off to earlier at the house?” Kara asked as they continued along the road.

 

“I went to freshen up a little, and I may have slipped into something a little more.. appropriate for the occasion.” she admitted, swallowing roughly as Kara’s grip tightened on her thigh in response.

 

“Oh really? And what would that be?” Kara coaxed as she rubbed circles against Lena’s jeans with the pad of her thumb.

 

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Lena replied with a hint of teasing, willing her voice to stay steady despite the effect that Kara was already having on her.

 

When they pulled up outside Kara’s apartment building they both eagerly stepped out of the car and linked hands on the sidewalk before making their way inside. It had been a few weeks since they had last gotten the chance to be together intimately and Lena’s body was already humming. It was as though Kara had unlocked something inside of her that she had buried so deep down she almost forgot about it, but now it was coming back full force and she just _needed_  Kara. She already felt too warm in her clothes as they stepped into the elevator and she couldn’t wait to leave them in a pile on Kara’s bedroom floor.

 

“Hey, you alright? You’re being kinda quiet?” Kara asked softly, eyes laced with concern as she scanned over Lena’s face. “We don’t have to do anything tonight, we can just watch a movie, or we can go back home if you’re worried about Leni?”

 

“ _Oh god no._ ” Lena breathed almost embarrassingly fast. “It’s not that, I just.. You..” she trailed off as she felt her cheeks flush.

 

“I got you a little worked up in the car?” Kara teased with a smug look on her face.

 

“You could certainly say that.” Lena puffed a breath as Kara pulled her closer and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. The softness was a stark contrast to the energy currently thrumming between them in the small enclosed space.

 

When the doors finally opened with a little ding, Lena all but threw herself out of the elevator. Kara was close behind and she fumbled a little with her keys as they reached the door to her apartment and eventually made it inside after she took a moment to steady herself.

 

Lena barely gave her a second before reaching up to clasp her hands around the back of Kara’s neck and pulling her down into a kiss. The force of it almost sent them stumbling to the floor until Lena’s back hit the door and Kara broke away with a laugh.

 

“Someone’s eager.” she teased, purposefully avoiding Lena’s lips with her own as Lena groaned in frustration.

 

“I’m horny, okay? You got me! Lena Luthor is horny! Happy now? Can we take our clothes off?” she huffed dramatically as Kara continued to avoid her mouth.

 

“Go take your clothes off and lay down for me.” she stepped away from where she had Lena pinned against the door. The hungry look in Lena’s eyes at the statement almost had her pulling her right back and slamming her against the wall, but she refrained from doing so as she watched Lena walk away.

 

Lena could feel her heart racing in her chest as she stripped off her clothes alone in Kara’s bedroom. She left her underwear on, knowing that Kara wanted to see it, before laying down on the bed and attempting to position herself in a way that didn’t look painfully awkward. Kara didn’t appear for another few minutes, and Lena knew fine well that it was for no other reason other than to tease her, but the look on her face when she entered the room made it all worth it.

 

Kara’s jaw all but hit the floor as she took in the sight of Lena laying on the bed dressed only in a matching set of dark red lace underwear. Her hair was a little messy from the events of the day and it cascaded down her back in a way that knocked all of the air out of Kara’s lungs.

 

“I.. _Whoa_.” she breathed as she took in the sight before her.

 

Lena felt her mouth go dry as Kara slowly stripped off in front of her, leaving only her own underwear on before she climbed up onto the bed and crawled over to where Lena was currently laying.

 

“Hi.” she whispered down at her once she was comfortably on top of her.

 

“Hi.” Lena spoke back softly, gazing up at Kara with an almost overwhelming combination of love and arousal in her eyes.

 

Lena all but melted into the mattress when Kara lowered her lips to her own. She looped her arms around her neck to draw her closer as Kara kissed her slowly but firmly. Lena’s lips immediately parted to accept her tongue as Kara’s hips settled between her legs.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” Kara stated against her mouth, gently biting down on Lena’s bottom lip before her lips began trailing kisses down her neck, applying the barest hint of suction, just enough to leave Lena wanting more.

 

She felt as though her skin was buzzing with static electricity, Kara’s lips felt so _good_ but it wasn’t enough. She moved her hands from around Kara’s neck and slipped them around to her back before tugging at the clasp of her bra in a silent question. Kara laughed against her skin before sitting up on her knees and removing her bra, letting Lena’s eyes linger for a moment before lowering herself back down and slowly sliding her arms beneath Lena’s slightly arched back and taking her own bra off.

 

“God, you’re driving me crazy.” Lena whispered as Kara’s lips found their way back to her neck and began slowly kissing down.

 

“ _You’re_  driving _me_  crazy.” she whispered against her skin before catching Lena off guard and lowering her mouth to take one of Lena’s straining nipples into it. The way her hand immediately shot up into Kara’s hair to keep her in place let her know that Lena was more than happy with the current situation as she continues to lave her tongue over it.

 

“God.. I love you so much.. every inch of you.. you’re everything.” Kara mumbled, sounding awestruck and more than a little breathless, into her skin as she continued her path downwards.

 

Lena had to blink away tears at the sincerity in Kara’s voice. Never in her life had she had someone who spent so much time on her, and actually seemed to enjoy it, but she was struggling to keep her grasp on reality and she felt as though she was in real danger of exploding if Kara continued to tease her the way she was.

 

“I love you so much.” she breathed as Kara continued to kiss and suck at her hips. “But if you don’t touch me soon I’m going to-… _Oh fuck! _”__ she cried out as Kara pressed a single, short but firm kiss to her clit. The pressure was there for a moment and gone way too soon a Lena arched her hips up in search of more.

 

Kara gently guided her legs open a little wider before getting a little more comfortable and settling down between them. Even with how much she desperately wanted it, Lena still wasn’t ready when Kara’s tongue finally moved along the length of her slit, when the soft tip of her tongue flicked gently up to her clit before dipping back down to taste her. She watched, propped up on her elbows as Kara licked her lips and hummed contently at the taste. She could feel the tension coiled tightly in her stomach as she waited for Kara’s mouth to return. Lena wanted to let her savor the moment before whimpering her name again with urgency, gently pulling her back in to keep going.

 

Lena’s head fell back roughly against the pillow as Kara eagerly latched back on, sucking firmly as her tongue relentlessly tapped against her. She could hear her own heart beating loudly in her ears as a string of words escaped her mouth Lena had no idea what she was even saying, she was pretty sure it was mostly incoherent babbling, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than what Kara was doing to her right now as the rest of the world completely melted away.

 

She sobbed, _sobbed_ when she felt Kara’s finger easing into her before she slipped another in and picked up a steady rhythm. The sounds currently filling the room were ridiculously filthy and Lena’s keening was growing louder and louder as Kara pumped into her. She could feel how close she was, she knew it was going to happen-

 

“Come for me baby, let go.” Kara broke away from her clit momentarily to tell her before returning and sucking it back into her mouth as the string finally snapped and Lena all but screamed when the first wave hit her, radiating throughout her whole body as her muscles spasmed and fluttered around Kara’s fingers.

 

Kara stayed where she was until she was sure that Lena was done before gently moving back up to lay beside her, leaving her fingers where they were as she pressed soft kissed to Lena’s neck.

 

“Kara.. I can’t.. I can’t go again.” Lena breathed as her head flopped back against the pillow, completely spent and exhausted.

 

“Yes you can.” Kara husked into her ear, and _god_  if she didn’t have an immediate physical reaction to the demanding tone of Kara’s voice. “You can, and you will.” Kara told her, although her eyes popped up to silently check in with her, to make sure that all of this was alright.

 

“What about you? Don’t you need..?” Lena began to question, although her body was already craving Kara once again, eager for her fingers to begin moving.

 

“This is your day, don’t worry about me.” Kara told her softly before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love making you feel good..” she punctuated her words with a gentle thrust of her fingers as Lena groaned at the sensation. “I love how much you trust me.. It makes me feel like the luckiest person on earth.. knowing that you feel comfortable enough around me to be so vulnerable..” she picked up the pace a little as she continued to press kisses into the skin nearest to her and continued to speak softy. “You’re so beautiful when you let go like this.. I love you so much.”

 

Lena was a complete and utter mess, she was arching desperately into Kara’s hand, seeking just that little bit more to tip her over the edge. She could feel the sheet of sweat currently covering her skin and she knew that she was going to be deliciously sore in the morning. It wasn’t until Kara latched on to her nipple and sucked gently that she knew she couldn’t hold on any longer. She let go, falling silent as her entire body tensed up whilst Kara guided her through it.

 

It took Lena a few moments to come back to earth. Her entire body felt as though it had completely melted into the mattress and she was vaguely aware of Kara whispering soft reassurances to her.

 

“Hi.” Kara spoke gently when Lena’s eyes eventually fluttered open.

 

“That was.. beyond words.” Lena complimented with a dreamy smile on her face.

 

“I agree.” Kara told her as she pressed another kiss to her shoulder. “I love you so much.”

 

“I love you too.” Lena replied as she shifted a little to get closer to the woman currently laying beside her. “Can I..” she trailed off as she gestured to Kara.

 

“Maybe later.” Kara breathed a laugh. “You can hardly keep your eyes open.”

 

If Kara wasn’t already convinced of Lena’s exhaustion, she definitely was after Lena relented almost immediately. She knew under any other circumstance that Lena would put up one hell of a fight, negotiating with Kara until she got her way, but her eyes were already fluttering closed and Kara was more than content to just wrap her up in her arms and hold Lena while she slept.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god jesus sweetie i am SO sorry


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh next chapter is gonna be the last one & then the epilogue (there will be a sequel coming super soon and it's gonna be wild so stay tuned)

 

 

The month leading up to Leni’s graduation from pre school was nothing short of hectic. Graduation meant that summer was coming up, and Lena had every intention of taking some time off work to spent time with her girls over the break. The only downside to doing so was that it resulted in Lena having to almost double her hours at the office so that the company wouldn’t struggle in her absence. She was exhausted and felt beyond guilty at the amount of time that she had been spending away from home, although she had to admit that Kara had been her shining light through it all.

 

After an overly emotional, premenstrual, extremely sleep deprived breakdown a few weeks ago about how bad she felt over neglecting her daughter, during which Kara assured her that she most definitely was _not_ neglecting her, Kara suggested that she start bringing Leni home from school. Lena had declined the offer at first, not wanting to put any stress on Kara, before she told her that she didn’t have a choice and that she _would_ be taking her to and from school for the last few weeks if it meant giving Lena peace of mind.

 

It had actually turned out better than Lena initially thought, Leni would help Kara pack up her things after school and then Kara would drive them both straight home to Lena’ place. It made her feel a lot better knowing that at least Leni was in her own house, not that Lena minded her being at Sam’s place or at daycare, both of those were a huge blessing to her, but she liked the thought of Leni being at home with Kara.

 

It also meant that she got to come home to Kara at night who, for all intents and purposes, had essentially moved into the house. She figured it would be easier for Kara to just spend the night on school nights so that she wouldn’t have to get up mega early to pick Leni up, and Lena quickly realized just how thankful she was for the woman who she now got to share her bed with each and every night.

 

Not only did Kara take Leni to and from school, but she also got her ready in the mornings and bathed her at night so that Lena wouldn’t have to worry about doing it before and after work. She packed both Lena and Leni’s lunch each night and made sure the two of them had it before rushing off for the day. Lena had been almost positive that she couldn’t love Kara more than she already did, but she just kept surprising her.

 

It was the little things, some nights Lena would be so stressed and exhausted from the long work day that she just wouldn’t be in the mood to talk, and Kara would simply wrap her up in her arms and just hold her close. Other nights she would be so wound up from a meeting or conference that she had with some of the older male investors that she would go off on rants that lasted well into the night, and Kara would simply lay beside her and listen until Lena felt better. There was always a meal waiting for Lena at home despite the late hour she usually got back, and Kara would always make sure that she ate it before going to sleep.

 

Lena wasn’t sure how she would have coped without Kara, and as the week of Leni’s graduation and the start of her vacation approached, she was realizing more and more that she really didn’t want to. She didn’t want to go back to Kara only spending the night at the weekend, she didn’t want to spend most of her nights sleeping alone. She didn’t want to go back to a life where Oreo didn’t greet her excitedly at the door every single time she arrived back home. She wanted exactly what she had. She wanted crazy rushed mornings with Kara by her side, she wanted dinner at 10pm with Kara all but spoon feeding it to her because she was so exhausted from working all day, she wanted to come home to the sight of Kara crashed out in Leni’s bed with one of her books clutched to her chest. She wanted a life with Kara, and she knew that it was something she would have to bring up to her when she got the chance.

 

Lena finished up with work for the summer the day before Leni’s little graduation ceremony and she made sure that she left her office early enough to get home in time to see her before she went to bed for the night. The house was quiet when Lena stepped inside, and she guessed from the lack of Oreo excitedly running around at her feet that the three of them must be upstairs. After kicking off her heels and setting her back down at the door, Lena padded down the hall and made her way up the stairs. Leni’s room was empty when she walked passed, so she continued on to her own room, hearing the laughter before she even arrived at the door.

 

She made her way through quietly, tiptoeing into her bedroom before stopping in the door frame of her en suite bathroom and just taking a moment to enjoy the sight before her. Leni was in the bath, surrounded by bubbles and a few different toys as Kara knelt beside the tub with her sleeved rolled up and once of her hands in the water playfully splashing at Leni.

 

“You’re silly mommy!” Leni giggled as she brought her hands up to shield her face from the incoming splash of water.

 

Lena saw the exact moment that Kara tensed up when Leni spoke, and she felt her own heart skip a beat for a moment before it began racing.

 

“Oh, no, honey, I’m not.. I-..” Kara began to stutter as she looked at Leni.

 

“There’s my girls!” Lena called out as she finally made her way fully into the bathroom with a ridiculously wide smile on her face.

 

“Mommy!” Leni smiled happily as she spotted Lena, who immediately crouched down beside Kara and gave her a quick kiss before turning to Leni and doing the same.

 

“I missed you guys so much.” she told them as she located the warm towel on the radiator and brought it over to Leni. “I’m so glad I’m done with work, I can’t wait to just relax with the two of you.” Lena sighed contently as she wrapped Leni up in the towel and lifted her out of the tub.

 

“And Oreo!” she called out as Lena carried her through to the bed to get her dried.

 

“Of course, I could never forget Oreo.” Lena assured her with a laugh, peeking over the top of Leni’s head at Kara who had remained uncharacteristically quiet and was currently draining the water from the tub and tidying Leni’s toys away.

 

It wasn’t until the two of them were laying in bed later that night that Lena finally had the chance to check in with her without having to worry about being interrupted.

 

“Hey.” she spoke softly, shifting in Kara’s arms so that her she could face her. “Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet ever since..” she trailed off, unsure if she should bring up the subject again if it was something that was upsetting to Kara. “She’s just a kid Kara, it wasn’t anything serious. I don’t want you to freak out over it or panic or anything, I get that it was a little overwhelming-..”

 

“No.” Kara shook her head as she cut Lena off mid sentence. “I’m not freaking out.. or maybe I am, I don’t know.” she sighed as she pulled Lena in closer and buried her face in her hair. “Honestly, I think it just hit me in that moment how much I love you guys. Like, I know it was just a slip or whatever, but it felt.. It felt __good.__  No one has ever called me that before, seeing as how I don’t have any kids.” she laughed lightly before continuing. “It was just kinda an overwhelming moment, I realized how badly I want that, not right now obviously, but in the future. And I want it with you, and Leni, and I’m sorry if this is a lot to take in, I don’t mean to freak you out.”

 

“God, Kara, no.” Lena breathed a laugh as she lifted her head from Kara’s chest to look her in the eyes. “I want that too, I want it so badly that it frightens me sometimes.” she admitted as she brought her hand up to gently caress Kara’s cheek, smiling softly at the way she leaned into the touch. “I love you so __so__  much, and it can get overwhelming sometimes, but we’ve come pretty far in a year and we don’t have to rush anything. We’re here now, and we just take it day by day.”

 

“I love you so much.” Kara sighed in relief, pulling Lena in impossibly closer when she lay her head back down.

 

“I was actually thinking about something earlier.” Lena began as she pressed a kiss to the exposed skin of Kara’s shoulder where the straps of her top didn’t quite cover. “It doesn’t have to be right away, and there’s no pressure or anything I swear, and I totally, completely understand if you’re not ready or-..”

 

“Lena.” Kara cut her off with a laugh. “What is it?”

 

“I’ve just really enjoyed having you here this past month, and I know it’s been hectic and crazy, and I know that you’re probably exhausted, but getting to come home to you every night, and knowing that you’re here every morning when I wake up, it’s just been incredible. I honestly didn’t think that I would ever find someone that I wanted those things with, and honestly the thought of you going back to your place is killing me.” she laughed as she pouted playfully. “I guess what I’m saying is that if you want to move in, I’d be more than okay with that, but I’m also okay if you don’t feel ready or if it’s something that you want to work towards or whatever.”

 

“ _Oh thank god _.__ ” Kara breathed as she let out a light laugh. “I was dying at the thought of having to leave too, I love being here so much. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to get to sleep at night without you sleep talking in my ear.” she teased as Lena rolled her eyes. “I would love to move in.”

 

“You would?” Lena asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

 

“I would.” Kara confirmed as she pressed her lips to Lena’s before hooking her arms around her waist and pulling Lena up on top of her without breaking the kiss.

 

“The kid..” Lena trailed off half halfheartedly as Kara’s hands crept under the hem of her shirt to palm at her hips.

 

“We’ll be quiet.” Kara whispered against her lips before pulling Lena’s shirt fully off and pressing her lip to every available surface as Lena keened softly above her.

 

* * *

 

The graduation ceremony wasn’t until noon the next day, which meant that Lena was able to actually wake up with Kara without having to rush around at a ridiculously early hour of the morning for the first time in over a month. She basked in the comforting warmth of the bed as she watched Kara sleep for a while. She admired the faint freckles spattered across her cheeks, watched as a stray strand of her hair blew around each time Kara exhaled a breath. She watched until Kara’s eyes finally fluttered open and her face broke into a lazy smile as her eyes fell on Lena.

 

“Good morning.” she croaked, voice thick from sleep as she shifted a little closer to her.

 

“Good morning.” Lena replied happily. “Are you ready for today?”

 

“Are _you_  ready?” Kara laughed softly.

 

“Not even a little bit.” Lena admitted with a smile. “I can’t believe it’s been a year already, she’s growing up so fast it’s honestly kind of terrifying.”

 

“She’ll be alright, she’s a smart little cookie and kindergarten will be a whole new adventure for her.” Kara assured Lena.

 

The lay in bed together talking back and forth for another little while before Leni and Oreo appeared in the doorway and Lena reluctantly willed herself to leave the warm comfort of the bed before they all headed downstairs to get started on breakfast.

 

“Hey munchkin, you ready for today?” Lena asked as she took a seat at the table and pulled Leni up onto her lap before pressing a kiss to the top of her sleep messed hair.

 

“Uh huh.” Leni nodded through a mouthful of toast as Kara took a seat next to them.

 

“So, I have something that I want to talk to you about.” Lena told Leni as she shifted her a little in her lap so that she could face her. “I wanted to ask you how you feel about Kara and Oreo moving into this house to live with us?”

 

“So.. They won’t go home sometimes?” Leni questioned, seemingly mulling the idea over in her head as she looked up at Lena.

 

“Nope, this will be their home.” Lena clarified. “Only if it’s something that you’re alright with though.”

 

“You wanna live here?” Leni turned to Kara and asked as she took another bite of her toast.

 

“I do kiddo.” Kara nodded happily. “I love you and your mommy, and I know that Oreo does too.”

 

“Okay.” Leni nodded contently. “Cool.”

 

“So, you’re alright with it?” Lena asked a little hesitantly as she eyed Leni.

 

“Yeah.” she nodded happily. “Can I have some orange juice please?”

 

Both Lena and Kara shared a laugh at how casually Leni had taken the whole thing before Lena reached over and grabbed an empty glass from the table and filled it up from the pitcher before passing it over to her.

 

* * *

 

The school was extremely busy when they pulled up outside later that morning. All of the preschool classes were being mixed in together for one big graduation ceremony instead of having lots of little ones and it was a struggle to find a parking space. When Lena eventually spotted one and quickly reversed into it, the three of them made their way into the building.

 

“I gotta run.” Kara told Lena once they arrived inside. “I need to sort my kids out, we’ll see you on the stage.” she finished with a quick kiss before taking Leni’s hand and making her way to her classroom.

 

After watching and waving as Leni retreated down the hallway, Lena waited in the reception area of the school until Sam and Ruby arrived.

 

“Hey guys!” she greeted them with a smile before pulling each of them in for a hug.

 

“I can’t believe she’s graduating already.” Sam exclaimed.

 

“Right?!” Lena agreed. “I don’t know where the time is going! I swear it was only last week when she couldn’t walk!”

 

“Guys it’s not like she’s graduating college, it’s just preschool.” Ruby laughed as she rolled her eyes kindheartedly.

 

“You’ll understand when you have kids of your own.” Sam smiled as she hooked an arm around Ruby’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s go take our seats.”

 

“Wait!” a voice cut through as they made to start heading towards the hall.

 

The three of them turned around before Lena spotted Alex running towards them, closely followed by Eliza.

 

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as she pulled Alex in for a hug. “What are you doing here?! I didn’t know you were coming!”

 

“We wanted to surprise you guys! You know, the kid is graduating and it’s Kara’s first ever class so we figured we’d come to show our support.” she smiled before turning to Sam and Ruby.

 

“Oh, sorry, this is Sam by the way.” Lena gestured to Sam. “And this is her daughter, Ruby.” she told Alex before turning to face Sam. “This is Kara’s sister Alex, and her mom Eliza.”

 

“Oh Lena sweetie it’s so good to see you!” Eliza exclaimed excitedly before rushing up to pull her in for a hug whilst Sam and Alex got acquainted.

 

“You too Eliza, this is an amazing surprise! Kara is gonna lose it when she sees you guys.” Lena told her with a laugh.

 

“Okay so, shall we go inside now?” Sam asked as Eliza and Lena broke their hug.

 

“Let’s go.” Lena nodded happily.

 

 


	41. Chapter 41

 

 

The five of them piled into the large hall and located a free row of seats as close to the front of the hall as they could get while all being able to sit together. Lena squeezed in at the end with Sam seated to her left and the aisle on her right. The little stage area was decorated beautifully with banners that the kids had made earlier in the week and Lena spotted Leni’s almost immediately, remembering the guilt that she felt over not being able to help her out with it, although Kara was more than happy to step in and give her a hand.

 

The low hum of excited chatter currently sounding throughout the large hall from the parents and family members of the children slowly died down as Principal Grant stepped up onto the stage and made her way over to the center before picking up one of the microphones.

 

“Good afternoon everyone.” She smiled politely as she looked around the room. “I’m sure you’re all feeling a lot of feelings over your little ones moving on up in the world, but I can assure you that each and every one of them are going to be just fine and it has been an honor getting to know them this past year. I know you’re all here for the main show, so without further ado, I would like to introduce our class of 2018.” she finished up as she gestured to the rows of children currently walking down towards the stage from the back of the hall.

 

The audience clapped and cheered as the kids made their way down, dressed in tissue paper gowns and cardboard hats, and Lena laughed as Leni waved wildly when she spotted her, tripping over her own feet for a split second before Kara reached forward and steadied her. Lena continued to watch as they piled onto the stage, knowing that Kara hadn’t spotted Eliza and Alex yet seeing as how she seemed so relaxed.

 

Both Lena, Sam and Kara, who was up on the stage with the kids, sobbed like babies when Leni’s name was called and she skipped happily across the length of the stage. The kids sang a few songs that they had rehearsed after each of them had received their cute little diplomas and a bag of candy, before they took a final bow and were led off the stage from the back.

 

“That was so cute!” Sam turned to Lena once the kids were gone and the noise level in the hall was starting to rise once again.

 

“God, I know.” Lena sniffed with a smile as she wiped at her eyes. “Kara was trying to hard to keep it together.” she laughed.

 

“She did a great job.” Eliza added with a proud smile.

 

“She really did.” Lena agreed as they began collecting their things to start heading out. “She’s been working her butt off _and_ taking care of Leni for almost a month straight, I’m not sure I would’ve managed without her.”

 

“I’m sure you would have.” Eliza assured her. “But I know she loves helping out, it means just as much to her as it does to you.”

 

The parents and family friends spilled out of the building and into the large playground whilst they waited for the kids to emerge. It wasn’t long before Leni was sprinting across the expanse of the school grounds and right into Lena’s arms.

 

“Did you see me mommy? Did you see?!” she asked excitedly.

 

“I saw you babe!” Lena assured her. “You did so good! I’m so proud of you.”

 

“Oh my god what are you guys doing here?!” Kara’s voice sounded as Lena turned around and saw her approaching, picking her pace up to a jog as she spotted Alex and Eliza.

 

“We came to surprise you!” Eliza told her happily as Kara pulled them both in for a group hug. “We’re so proud of you!”

 

“This is amazing! Thank you both so much for coming.” she beamed before turning to Lena.

 

“The whole thing was incredible babe, I’m so proud of you too, I know you worked your ass off for this.” she complimented sincerely before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

 

“I worked my ass too.” Leni cut in.

 

The snort of laughter that Alex let out was the only sound that could be heard within a good few meters, and Lena tried her very best not to draw attention to the whole thing, knowing that if she didn’t get a reaction then Leni most likely wouldn’t repeat herself.

 

“Come on, we have a party set up back at the house.” Sam cut in, clearly struggling to hold in her laughter about the whole thing as she guided the group of them towards the car park.

 

They each split up when they got there, Ruby and Sam headed back to Sam’s car whilst Alex and Eliza headed to their own, leaving Lena, Kara and Leni to drive back in Lena’s car.

 

“I can’t believe Eliza and Alex showed up, I’m so happy!” Kara squeaked excitedly as Lena reversed out of the spot.

 

“I know! I totally wasn’t expecting it, but it’s a really nice surprise.” Lena agreed as she slipped one of her hands into Kara’s.

 

It was late afternoon by the time everyone got back to Lena’s place and their cars piled into the large driveway. Lena was extremely thankful for the sunny weather, seeing as how she had planned to have everyone outside in the backyard for a barbecue at Leni’s request.

 

Both herself and Kara spent a little time setting up bowls and trays with little party foods, a few sides and some chips before Alex and Sam helped them take everything outside to the large picnic table down at the bottom of the garden. Leni was running around with Oreo and Eliza was smiling happily as she took a seat at the table.

 

“There are drinks in the fridge, just help yourself to more whenever you guys want any.” Lena told everyone as she passed around a tray of ready made cocktails to all of them, laughing at Ruby’s pout as she passed a can of juice over to her instead.

 

“Wait!” Kara called out before the glasses were brought up to anyone’s lips, they each turned their heads curiously in her direction before she walked over to where Lena was standing with the now empty tray and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I just wanna say a few quick words before you guys get really drunk.” she laughed, directing her words mainly to Alex and Sam who raised their glasses cheekily in her direction. “This year has been one of the best years of my life, going into this job I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I definitely would never in a million years have guessed that I would find what I did.” she squeezed Lena’s waist gently before continuing. “I want to thank all of you for the role each one of you played in our journey this past year, and I’d like you to know that Lena and I are moving in together.” she finished with a beaming smile, a chorus of “aww” coming from their guests as Lena leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

 

“I’m so happy for you guys!” Sam rushed over and pulled them each into a hug.

 

“Me too, congrats you two.” Alex cut in with a smile.

 

“Oh this is great news!” Eliza gushed. “I’m so pleased for you guys!”

 

“To new beginnings.” Lena raised her glass after everyone settled down again.

 

“To new beginnings.” they all called out before gently clinking their glasses together and taking a sip.

 

Kara set the barbecue up and Lena gave her a hand as she passed over the raw burgers and hot dogs each time something else was finished cooking. The smell was incredible and the sun was beaming down on them at just the right temperature, not uncomfortably hot, but warm enough for them to be able to enjoy the day without getting cold.

 

When all of the burgers were thoroughly cooked and piled high on a few different plates, Kara and Lena brought them over to the table and set them down in the center so that everyone would have easy access to them. There were already burger buns, hot dog buns, cocktail sausages, some freshly made salad and a few other bits and bobs for everyone to eat and they immediately began filling up their plates as they all sat down to eat. A chorus of thank you’s filled the table and both Lena and Kara smiled in response before digging into their own food.

 

As the night progressed the food was completely gone and the plates and cutlery were cleared up before Lena brought out her speakers and passed the AUX cord over to Alex, letting her choose whichever song that she wanted to play as they all flocked to the center of the grass and began to dance together, moving to the upbeat sound of the music currently drifting throughout the backyard. Eliza left after a little while, exhausted from having to wake up so early to make the long drive to National City in time for the graduation ceremony. She kissed and hugged each and every one of them goodbye before heading to her hotel, despite Lena’s insistence that she was more than welcome to spend the night in Leni’s bed and that Leni could jump in with her and Kara.

 

When the upbeat rhythm of what Lena recognized as one of the pop songs often played on the radio began fading out and bled into a slower one, they each instinctively gravitated towards someone else, Kara immediately reaching out for Lena and wrapping her up in her arms and squeezing her as close to her as she could get without hurting her. Ruby picked Leni up so that the height difference was noticeably and began swaying around with her as they each giggled to themselves, and a very drunk Sam was currently being held up by Alex as they attempted to move gently to the music.

 

Lena took a moment to just take it all in. It was overwhelming to say the least. She couldn’t believe the family that she had built, she never would have imagined this. She remembered first moving into the house and looking out into the yard, it had seem so ridiculously large at the time, and for one person, it was. But here she was, wrapped up in Kara’s warm, safe, loving arms with her chin resting atop Lena’s head, surrounded by members of her family, both old and new, and she was completely content. She had a future lined up with Kara, and it didn’t terrify her like it would have done a year ago. It gave her hope, and excitement about the future and she really couldn’t wait for the new life that was awaiting her with both Leni and Kara by her side.

 

 


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's literally breaking my heart posting the last chapter but i can't thank everyone enough for the comments and kudos etc that you've left on this story. I promise it's not over, the next part was just set a little bit ahead so I wanted to make a separate story for it and the first chapter is up now! Thanks again for reading & I hope you've all enjoyed this as much as I've loved writing it!

 

 

_one year later_

__

The lead up to the day of their wedding had been filled with planning, meetings with caterers and chefs and florists and a ridiculous amount of cake tasting, although Lena is pretty sure that most of it was just because Kara and Leni enjoyed it so much.

 

Looking back, it had been a rather busy year, although it had also been one of the best of Lena’s life. She adored all of the moments she got to spend with her girls, even if it wasn’t always a happy one. She found that the little arguments that she and Kara would have about plans for the wedding were actually oddly enjoyable. Lena maintained that they didn’t need an eight tear cake, seeing as how the ceremony would be extremely intimate, but Kara insisted and they bickered back and both before Lena relented with Kara’s lips pressed to her neck. It was difficult to hold her own when Kara was delivering her argument straight to the sensitive skin just behind her ear.

 

Leni was settling into kindergarten like a pro, all of the updates that Lena had received were extremely positive and she was proud beyond words of her little girl. She was making a ton of new friends in her new class and she seemed genuinely happy, which is all Lena can ever remember wanting for her. Over the course of the year, Lena had sat her down privately and had an in depth discussion, or as in depth as you can get with a four year old, about Kara becoming a serious part of their life, and what that meant for them. Given the fact that Leni had only just turned three when Kara was first introduced, it was more likely that she would struggle to remember a life __without__  Kara, rather than a life __before__  her. The day that Leni privately asked Lena if she could call Kara mom was one that Lena will never ever forget, and she’s certain it’s also one that Kara will never forget.

 

Lena had told her that if she was comfortable calling Kara mom, then she was more than okay with it, but only if Leni was sure that it was something she wanted to do. After assuring Lena that it was, the two of them had sat Kara down in the living room and Leni had asked if Kara would mind being referred to as “mom”. Kara broke down in tears almost immediately and pulled Leni in for probably the longest hug in the history of hugs ever whilst Lena sobbed like a baby beside them before being pulled in too. They spent the night squished up on the couch with a now fully grown Oreo laying beside them, and after a few months, Leni surprised Kara on her birthday and asked if she would be willing to legally adopt her. This of course prompted another round of tears and hugs that ended with them officially being a family.

 

They had emptied Kara’s apartment of all of her possessions over the course of the summer, and both Sam and Alex had helped them rearrange some stuff in the house to make it more of _their_  place rather than just Lena’s. Some of Kara’s art hung from the walls in the hallway, and the blankets on the couch had been replaced with the ones from Kara’s old couch. It wasn’t anything drastic, but Lena wanted to be sure that Kara knew this was her home too and that she should feel completely comfortable with that knowledge.

 

Initially, Kara had planned to sell the apartment seeing as how she no longer needed it, but after a completely unexpected revelation from Alex stating that she was being transferred to National City and needed a place to stay, Kara simply gave her the keys. Unbeknownst to both Lena and Kara, Alex and Sam had apparently begun seeing one another on the sly after meeting last summer. Lena had her suspicions that Sam was most likely dating someone, and she completely understood that she maybe just wanted to keep it to herself for a while, but she never in a million years would she have suspected Alex and that the reason for her not telling Lena was because her girlfriend was her best friend’s fiance’s sister.. When the two of them sat Kara and Lena down and told them, they both completely lost it. There was a lot of laughter and cheering, and they ended the night rather tipsy on Lena and Kara’s sofa.

 

When Kara proposed, Lena had been completely caught off guard. She’ll never ever forget the feeling that rushed through her veins after saying yes. That night is one that will forever be ingrained in her memory, and she still blushes a little every single time she looks down at the beautifully subtle diamond ring on her left hand. She always said that she didn’t want anything flashy, just something simple that would represent the woman she loved, and Kara picked perfectly.

 

The day of the wedding was approaching faster than any of them thought that it would, and before she knew it, Lena was waving Kara off down the driveway as she, Alex and Eliza headed to Alex’s place to spend the night before the wedding tomorrow. Lena spent the rest of the evening with Leni, Sam and Ruby, prepping each other and relaxing before the big day. She knew that there was very little chance of her being able to sleep that night, but Lena tried her very best anyway after tucking Leni into bed and kissing her goodnight. Sam jumped in with Lena whilst Ruby opted to take the couch, insisting that it was more comfortable than her bed at home.

 

Lena guessed it must be nearing midnight when she heard her phone begin to buzz and she groggily sat up to locate it. She almost dropped it onto the floor when she saw Kara’s name flashing across the screen, hands beginning to shake as she fumbled with the answer button and prayed that everything was alright.

 

“Hey, is everything okay?” she whispered worriedly down the line, careful not to wake Sam as she brought the phone up to her ear.

 

“I-..” Kara began but trailed off. “I just.. I’m so sorry to be calling, I know we’re not supposed to talk or whatever, but I just really needed to hear your voice.” she admitted, and Lena could tell from the way her voice broke ever so slightly that Kara was close to tears.

 

“What’s wrong baby?” she asked, her own voice laced with concern. “Do you need me to come see you?”

 

“I-.. I think so.” Kara’s voice cracked a little more and Lena immediately flipped the covers back and climbed out of the bed.

 

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes, I love you.” she told Kara softly despite the way her own heart was currently hammering in her chest over the unknown reason for Kara’s obvious distress.

 

“I love you.” Kara whispered before Lena hung up the phone and rounded the bed.

 

She debating whether or not she should wake Sam, but she decided to just send her a text letting her know where she was just in case Lena wasn’t back when she woke up. After slipping on a coat over her pajamas and throwing on the first pair of sneakers that she could get her hands on, Lena quietly closed and locked the front door behind her before heading to the car and climbing inside.

 

The drive to Alex’s apartment was cut significantly shorted thanks to the lack of traffic, and Lena spotted Kara standing outside the building before she had even pulled up at the side of the road. Before she had the chance to shut the engine off and get out of the car, Kara was walking towards her and quickly clambered into the passengers seat.

 

“Hey babe, are you oka-” Lena began to ask, but was cut off as Kara all but threw herself at her, wrapping Lena up in a hug and breaking out in a heart wrenching sob. “Oh god, it’s okay, let it out, you’re okay, I’ve got you.” Lena assured her, still completely unaware of what was happening, but knowing Kara well enough to know that she just needed her in this moment. Kara tended to get overwhelmed when she was dealing with strong emotions, and Lena found that simply holding her was enough until Kara was able to process whatever she was feeling and then articulate it to her.

 

“I’m so sorry.” Kara cried into her shoulder as Lena shushed her and rubbed wide circles over the expanse of her back in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m sorry I’m ruining this, I don’t mean to be this way.”

 

“Kara, you’re not ruining anything, unless your plan is to break up with me and leave me the night before our wedding.” Lena half teased, although she would be lying if she said that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind at one point during the panic drive over.

 

“Of course I’m not.” Kara breathed a small laugh into Lena’s shoulder as the tears began to subside and she gradually calmed down. “I’m sorry.” she told Lena once more as she brought her face up to look at her.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Lena told her as she cupped her face gently in her hands, using the pads of her thumbs to wipe away some tears currently streaking down Kara’s cheeks. “Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?” she asked tentatively.

 

“It’s just.. I was laying in bed with Eliza and Alex and it hit me that they’re the ones coming to my wedding. I know it sounds dumb, and it makes me sound ungrateful after everything that they’ve done for me, but I just..” Kara paused for a moment as her voice wavered before taking a deep breath, composing herself and continuing on. “I just wish my parents could be there, and it __hurts.__ I love Alex and Eliza with my whole heart, I really do, and I’m so happy that they’ll be there tomorrow, but it doesn’t fill the hole, you know?”

 

“ _ _Oh Kara.”__  Lena breathed softly before pulling her in for another hug and holding her tight. “It doesn’t make you sound ungrateful in the slightest, it’s totally understandable that you want them there, and I’m so sorry that I can’t make that happen for you, because trust me I would if I could, but I do know that they’ll be looking down on you tomorrow and that they’re so incredibly proud of everything that you’ve achieved and the incredible person that you’ve become.”

 

“Is it.. I mean.. Can we stay here? Just for a little while? I know it’s bad luck or whatever but I just.. I love you so much.” Kara’s voice was slightly muffed by Lena’s neck.

 

“Of course we can.” Lena stroked her hair reassuringly. “Although, I was thinking maybe we could take a little drive if you’re up for it?” she offered up to Kara.

 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” Kara replied with a smile before shifting properly over into the passengers seat and putting on her seat belt, reaching out for Lena’s hand once she stared up the engine once again.

 

Kara was quiet for the rest of the drive, although her thumb continuously ran across the top of Lena’s hand. The roads were quiet and the entire city was calm, Lena isn’t sure what made her want to go where she was currently heading, but she thought it might be a something nice to help Kara feel a little better.

 

“Oh my god.” Kara laughed ever so slightly as Lena pulled into the large parking lot and Kara recognized where they were.

 

“Is this okay?” Lena asked as she reversed into one of the spaces closest to the little diner currently lit up.

 

“Of course is it.” Kara smiled as they unbuckled their belts and climbed out of the car.

 

It was exactly the same as the last time that they had been there, almost three years ago. Nothing had changed and Lena immediately led Kara to the booth that they had sat in the first time they’d come.

 

“We haven’t been here since-” Kara began but Lena cut her off as she slid into her seat.

 

“Since the night we got locked in my office and I kissed you.”

 

“Yeah.” Kara supplied with a smile. “We’ve come a long way since then.”

 

“Yeah, we have.” Lena agreed.

 

“What can I get you lovely ladies?” the waitress cut in, standing at the edge of the table with a notepad and pen in her hand.

 

“Two coffees please, but make them decaf.” Lena told her before turning to Kara with a cheeky smile. “and two large waffles.”

 

“You remembered.” Kara beamed.

 

“Of course I did.”

 

They ate in comfortable silence when the food arrived, the waffles were just as good as Lena remembered them being, and Kara seemed to be feeling a lot better which was a huge relief to her. They spent just over an hour eating their waffles and finishing up their large mugs of coffee before paying and heading out.

 

“Thank you for this, I really needed it.” Kara told Lena as they approached the car.

 

“I love you.” Lena turned to face her before leaning up on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to her lips, a kiss that Kara happily returned for a few moments before breaking away.

 

“It’s nice to have that happen and not be left standing alone.” Kara teased as Lena swatted at her arm ad gave her an exasperated look. “You know I’m kidding, I love you too.” she smiled before kissing her once again.

 

When Lena arrived home after dropping Kara back off at Alex’s place, she was relieved to see that Sam was still fast asleep, and she quietly stripped off her coat before climbing back under the covers and attempting to get at least a few hours sleep before having to get up and get ready for the day.

 

When Lena woke barely two hours later, it was to the sun streaming in through the window and an empty bed. She groggily rolled over and stretched out her muscles before blindly reaching for her phone and noticing that she had a text from Kara from a few minutes ago.

 

_Kara: Happy wedding day!! I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you later today, give Leni a kiss from me. -K x_

__

Lena smiled as she read over the message a few times before typing up a reply to her.

 

_Lena: Happy wedding day future wife! I love you with every part of me, I’ll see you soon. -L x_

 

After setting her phone down and getting up, Lena headed straight to Leni’s room, only to find that it was empty too. She guessed that Sam must have gotten her up early, and after stopping by the bathroom, Lena made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

 

“Mommy!” Leni cheered as she entered the room.

 

“Hey baby.” Lena smiled as she walked over to where Leni was sitting on the stool at the island and bent down to give her a hug.

 

“Good morning Miss Luthor.” Sam winked as she passed over a steaming hot mug of coffee to Lena. “This is the last ever morning with that name, how are you feeling?” she asked as Lena pulled out the stool and sat down beside Leni.

 

“I’m so excited.” Lena admitted, barely able to contain her smile. “A little nervous too, but mostly just excited.”

 

“Glad to hear it.” Sam told her before setting a bowl of cereal down in front of her. “Eat this and then we’ll start getting everyone ready.”

 

Ruby appeared from the living room halfway through breakfast and wished them all a good morning before silently eating her own cereal, still half asleep and yawning until Lena slipped her a mug of coffee when Sam wasn’t looking.

 

After clearing everything up they each headed into one of the bathrooms in the house, Leni going with Lena so that they could all get showered before piling into the living room where all of their hair and makeup products were set up for easy access seeing as how the large windows provided the best light in the house.

 

* * *

 

Kara stood in the courtyard taking in the sight of everything when she arrived. Lena had truly outdone herself with the decor and Kara found herself unable to do anything other than stare for a while. The seats were lined up in rows, only a few seeing as how intimate the ceremony was, there was a large flower arch standing tall, made up of beautiful pastel colored flowers that they would be married under in just over an hour. The grass beneath them was a vibrant green and the sun was beaming down from above. It was everything that Kara could have ever imagined and so much more, and she couldn’t wait to share it all with Lena.

 

After getting herself ready at the venue with Alex and Eliza by her side, Kara was left alone whilst the guests arrived and everyone took their seats. She found herself standing in front of the mirror, her dress was breathtaking. It was very simple and tight fitted, but with little hits of lace and teeny little beads. She really hoped that Lena would like it. She spent a few moments fiddling with her hair, Eliza had done it up in a beautiful intricate braid and pinned it up out of the way before applying her makeup. Kara felt good, she was happy with her appearance, but she could barely contain herself over the thought of seeing Lena.

 

She didn’t have to wait for too long, and before she knew it she was being led out of the little room and out into the courtyard where she would be walking down the aisle with Eliza by her side.

 

“Are you ready sweetie?” Eliza asked as Kara approached the back of the courtyard, taking in the sight of the guests all facing the front as the music began to play.

 

“I am.” Kara nodded confidently before hooking her arm into Eliza’s and pulling her close.

 

Kara completely zoned out as the crowd stood up and turned to face her. She spotted so many familiar faces as she walked, but it wasn’t until her eyes fell on Sam, who was smiling and waving beside Alex, that the reality of the situation really hit her. If Sam was here, then that meant that Lena was too, and she would get to see her in a few moments. Kara could barely keep the smile off of her face as she made it up to the top and took her place beneath the flower arch.

 

The moment the music picked up once again and Lena came into view is a moment that Kara will never forget as long as she lives. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart felt as thought it was going to beat out of her chest as she just stared. Lena’s dress was.. It was the most beautiful thing that Kara had ever seen. Her hair was cascading down her back in loose curls, and she wore a beautifully subtle flower crown, one that matched the arc she was currently standing beneath. Leni was by Lena’s side, holding onto her hand as she walked her down the aisle dressed in an adorable little pastel pink dress. Her hair was much the same as Lena’s and Kara laughed joyfully at the thought of them matching.

 

She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as Lena approached, she was watching her future walk towards her, and she felt like the happiest, most luckiest person on the planet. After guiding Leni over to Sam, Lena made her way up to join Kara where she was standing, and Kara immediately noticed the tears on her own cheeks.

 

“You look.. beautiful.” Kara breathed as she took in everything that was Lena standing in front of her, she ached to reach out and cup her face, to press a kiss to her lips, but she knew that it would have to wait.

 

“So do you.” Lena breathed back, voice shaking ever so slightly as she blinked back tears.

 

Kara could barely comprehend what was being said during the ceremony, she was unable to tear her eyes away from Lena, unable to stop herself from drowning in the overwhelming feeling of happiness, it wasn’t until their vows that she finally managed to compose herself enough to speak.

 

“Lena, I can’t believe we made it to this point. When we first met it certainly wouldn’t have been on my radar that this is where we would end up, but I’ll be eternally thankful that this is the way things played out. I couldn’t imagine a stronger, kinder, more beautiful woman to spend my life with and I feel like the luckiest person alive that I get to call you mine, but not just you. You brought someone into my life, and the two of you fill my heart in ways that I can’t even express. I feel as though I was always destined to have both you and Leni in my life and I can’t wait to spend it with the two of you. I promise that I will always be there for you guys, I promise to love you both unconditionally and I promise that I will do everything in my power to make you guys happy. I love you so much.” Kara let out a relieved breath when she finished, thankful that she had gotten through her vows without messing them up. She smiled as Lena fanned at her eyes with an equally large smile on her own face before she began her own vows.

 

“Kara, you have changed my life in ways that I never would have thought possible, and I can’t express how grateful I am for that. I know I didn’t make this easy at first, but you didn’t give up on me and that means more to me than I could ever say. You showed me what it was like to love someone unconditionally, and be loved that way in return. I promise to always provide you with the love and comfort that you need. I promise to always be there for you, through the ups and downs, just as you were there for me. And finally, I promise to be the wife that you deserve, because you deserve a damn good one.” the crowds laughed lightly as Lena finished up talking.

 

The rest of the ceremony passed by rather quickly, and before either of them knew it, Kara was slipping a beautiful silver band onto Lena’s finger, sliding it down all the way until it rested just above her engagement ring.

 

“I, Kara Danvers, take you, Lena Luthor, as my lawfully wedded wife. To have, and to hold from this day forward. For better, or for worse. For richer, or for poorer. In sickness, and in health. Until death do us part.”

 

And then, it was Lena’s turn. Kara could feel the slight shake to her hands as she held onto Kara’s left one and began to recite the words whilst slipping the ring onto Kara’s finger.

 

“I, Lena Luthor, take you, Kara Danvers, as my lawfully wedded wife. To have, and to hold from this day forward. For better, or for worse. For richer, or for poorer. In sickness, and in health. Until death do us part.”

 

The moment they were pronounced married, their lips met in a tearful, passionate kiss. A kiss so perfect Kara felt as though she almost didn’t deserve it. It expressed all of the feelings that they couldn’t quite communicate. All of the love, the devotion and the happiness that they were currently feeling was poured into it, and they broke apart slightly flushed and laughing as they intertwined their hands and the minister spoke up once again.

 

“Ladies and gents, it is my honor to introduce the newly married Mrs Danvers-Luthor!” he gestured to Lena and Kara as they each raised their joint hands up into the air with a beaming smile before Leni ran over to join them.

 

“I love you so much.” Kara told her, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Lena was her _wife._ They were _married._  She felt as though she could explode with happiness.

 

“I love you too.” Lena stared at Kara with complete wonder and amazement, still trying to believe that her life had ended up the way that it did.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on twitter, @littleiuthor :)


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